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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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http://www.archive.org/details/allaboardforsunrOOrandrich 


ALL    ABOARD 


FOR   SUNRISE  LANDS. 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CALIFORNIA    ACROSS   THE   PACIFIC   TO 
JAPAN,   CHINA  AND  AUSTRALIA. 


BY 

EDWARD  A.  RAND. 

AUTHOR  OF  "PUSHING  AHEAD;"  "  ROVS  DORY;"  "  BARK-CABIN;  "  "TENT  IN  THR 

NOTCH,"  ETC.,  ETC.,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


FIFTEENTH    THOUSAND. 

CHICAGO: 
WILLIAM  M.  FARRAR. 

New  York:  Fairbanks,  Pai.mek  &  Co.    St.   F.oiiis:  R.  S.  Phale  &  Co. 
1883. 


FIRST   EDITION,    COPYRIGHTED    188I. 


Copyrighted   1882. 
FAIRBANKS,   PALMER   &  CO., 

ALL  RIGHTS    RESERVED. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter. 
I. 
11. 
111. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

Vlll. 

IX. 

X. 

XL 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIIl. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 


Who  They  Were 

Western  Freaks 

At  San  Francisco 

At  Sea  .... 

Discoveries  .... 

Lighthouses. 

Jack  Bobstay  spinning  Yarn 

Sunrise  Land  at  Last 

In  Yokohama 

Earthquakes  and  Railroads 

Sightseeing  in  Tokio 

Rick's  Fans 

About  Japanese  Rulers 

Japanese  Temple  —  and  a  Story 

Children  and  Children's  Sports 

A  Short  Trip       .... 

A  Jinrikisha  Journey 

Oka  and  Murasaki 

Japan  Tea 

Mourners   and   Religious  Faiths 

The  Cat  and  the  Fox 

The  Bamboo,  Rain  Coats,  and  blind 


Men 


The  Rain 


M69Xi8'78 


Page 
13 
23 
42 

53 
60 

67 
76 
94 
102 
no 
118 
132 

13S 

147 

107 

190 

195 
200 
209 
217 
226 


CONTENTS. 

XXIV.  Spreading  Canvas  for  Australia 241 

XXV.  The  Antelope 247 

XXVI.  The  Wide  Sea     .         .         . 251 

XXVII.  Man  at  the  Wheel  and  Man  in  the  Moon  ....  256 

XXVIII.  About  Telescopes       .' 262 

XXIX.  Coral  Islands  and  Coral 266 

XXX.  New  Zealand 275 

XXXI.  Auckland 278 

XXXII.  Maoris 283 

XXXIII.  Through  Cook's  Strait 286 

XXXIV.  Australia,  by  Rick  Rogers 299 

XXXV.  Sydney  ...........  302 

XXXVI.  The  Storm 3°^ 

XXXVII.  "Gold!  Gold!" 319 

XXXVIII.  A  Big  Sheep  Farm 327 

XXXIX.  A  Queer  Country 342 

XL.  The  Interior  of  Australia 353 

XLI.  China  at  Last 362 

XLII.  Canton 374 

XLIII.  Old  Friends  Again 382 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


i'a<;k. 

A 11- aboard  Boys.  Fro7itispiece. 

Sunrise  Boys       12 

All  Aboard  —  Initial 13 

Concord  Bridge 14 

She  interceded  with  the  Major  .     .     .  15 

Nurse  Fennel  at  home 17 

The  Suspension  Act 19 

The  Barrel  Act 19 

•Grandpa  Roger's  Home  in  Summer  .  20 

Echo  Rock 23 

Lower  Canon  of  the  Kanab   ....  24 
The  Grand  Canon  looking  West  from 

Toro  Weap 25 

Gunnison's  Butte  at  the  foot  of  Gray 

Canon 27 

Climbing  the  Grand  Canon       ...  28 

Bird's-eye  View  of  Terrace  Canons      .  29 

Winnie's  Grotto 31 

Interpreter  and  his  Family  ....  32 

Marble  Cafion 33 

Gate  of  Lodore 35 

Running  a  Rapid 36 

Island  Monument  Glen  Canon      .     .  37 

Marble  Canon 38 

Buttes  of  the  Cross  in   the  Toom-Pin 

Wu-near  Tur-weap    .     .          ...  39 

Indian  Village 40 

Camp-Fire  at  Elfin  Water  Pocket .     .  41 
Standing  Rocks  on  the  Brink  of  Mu-av 

Canon 42 

How  the  Voyage  begins 43 

Cape  Horn 43 

Woodward's  Garaen 45 

The  Minute  Man 47 


The  good  Woman 48 

How  the  Voyage  ma}-  erd    .     .     .     .  49 

Joe 51 

Sunset  at  Golden  Gate  and  Fort  Point  53 

The  City  of  Tokio 55 

In  high  Northern  Latitude   ....  57 

Phases  of  the  Moon 59 

Under  full  Steam         60 

Funny  Ways  of  Making  a  Fire      .     .  63 

A  Bell  Boat 67 

First  class  Light     Ship    with   steam 

fog  Whistle 68 

Mt.  Desert  Lighthouse 69 

Fourth  order  Lighthouse  at  Pentfield. 

L.  I.  Sound 71 

Lighthouse  at  the  "Thimble  Shoals,'" 

Hampton  Roads,  Va 72 

A  modern  Style  of  Lighthouse  .  .  73 
How   Uncle    Nat    spent   his    leisure 

Hours 75 

Walrus 76 

A  Vessel  turning  into  an  Icicle      .     .  77 

A  Sleeping-bag 80 

Bound  for  the  Ship 81 

Icebergs  on  every  Side 82 

A  Kayak    ..." 83 

On  Snow  Shoes     ' 85 

Jack  when  spilled  out 86 

Life  Basket 88 

Sending  help  through  the  Air  to   the 

Nancy  Dee 89 

Life  Boat 9' 

A  Greenland  Whale 92 

How  many  Waves  there  seemed  to  be  !  92 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Ship  Ahoy  ! 93 

Fujisan,  the  highest  Mountain  in  Japan        94 
The  Sun  as  viewed  from  the  Planets       95 

A  View  in  Tokiyo 98 

Dreamland 

A  Style  of  Dress 

On  a  comfortable  Sofa 

Street  in  Yokohama 

Daimiyo  in  Court  Dress 

The  Way  the   Mikado   travelled,    in 

Japanese  Fashion 

New  England  Coasting 

Reconnoitering  for  an  Earthquake     . 

The  round  Moon         

The  Mikado  on  a  Journey  in  Euro- 
pean Fashion 

The  seven-stroked  Horse      .... 

Nihon  Bashi        

The  champion  Oarsman 

Grandpa's  Clo<*k 

Pagan  Temple  in  Japan 

A  Sintoo  God —  the  God  of  Longevity 

Japanese  Shops 

Storks  

Rick's  Fans 

Young  America  behind  a   Japanese 

Fence    

Our    Japanese   Luxuries   on   a    hot 

August  Day    .     , 

A  good  Friend  to  Japan       .... 

Japanese  Story-Teller 

A  Group  of  Japanese  Mothers  and 

Children 141 

The  last  of  the  Tycoons 145 

Torii  at  Entrance  to  Shinto  Temple  .     149 

Too  Late 152 

A  Doll  Maker 153 

Japanese  Sport 156 

A  Japanese  Decorator     ...  -158 

A  Cemetery 159 

A  lonely  Meal  for  the  Japanese  Woman    1 63 


PAGE- 

One  of  the  old-time  Archers      .     .       .167 

Japanese  Woman  and  Child      .     .     .  170 

Kindness  to  the  Birds 171 

Making  Tea  .     .     .     .   ' 175 

Won't  you  take  a  Cup  of  Tea  with  us  .-•  1 79 

Having  a  social  Time 183 

Out  for  a  Walk 185 

Stretched  out  for  the  Night  ....  188 

A  Poetess igo 

An  Old  Japan  Scene igi 

"  The  Frog  Band  is  out  serenading 

Somebody" 1^7 

First  Chop      .          ,     .  ig^ 

Bond  of  Union 200 

Japanese  Mourners 201 

Beating  the  Temple  Drum    ....  205 

The  Excursion  of  Tengon  by  Water  .  206 

A  Japanese  Mischief  Maker      .     .     .  209 

A  Yankee  Kitsune  up  to  his  Fun  .     .  210 

Mad  because  receiving  7^ails  .  .  .  211 
Kitsune  leading    astray  an  innocent 

young  Creature 213 

The  Sabbath  of  the  Foxes     .     .     .     .  215 

Japanese  Boy      .     .     • 217 

Rain  Coat 218 

Eastern  Straw  Goods 219 

Japanese  Birds 221 

Eleven  bare-headed  blind  Men  .     .     .  223 

A  handsome  Object 226 

Bob  Gray  laughed  at  her  ....  227 
The  Landlord's  Daughter  performing 

on  the  Koto 228 

Chopsticks  for  one 230 

An  interesting  Time — .\  Matsuri      .  233 

Trying  to  get  a  Crab  off  the  Rocks    .  237 

Mark  of  Respect 239 

Over  the  fair  blue  Waters    of  Boston 

Harbor 240 

Uncle  Nat's  favorite  Jinrikisha      .     .  241 

Entrance  to  Suwo  Nada 244 

A  Celebration  by  the  Spider  Family  .  245 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Bound  for  Australia 247 

What  for  Dinner 249 

On  a  Hogshead  to  see  me  off    .     .     .  251 
The  Fishes  taking  Bumble-bee's  Leav- 
ings     254 

The  Chronometer 256 

A  volcanic  Country  in  Winter         .     .  259 

On  the  Ocean  Wave 261 

Telescope  at  Cambridge 262 

Telesaope  at  Washington      ....  263 

What  the  Waves  cover 265 

Coral 266 

"Suthin's    Comin'"  —  and    "  Suthin' 

Came 267 

A  Lagoon 271 

Siah's  Cousin 272 

The  famous  Planet 273 

Painting  the  Lion's  Head      .     .     .     .  275 

A  maidne  Flower  Pot 2  76 

A  Fan   handsomer   than  anything  in 

Japan     ,     .     -     . 279 

Medusa  or  Jelly  Fish 280 

Young  Jack  Bobstay 281 

Old  Jack  Bobstay 282 

Rick  ♦ 283 

A  Trap  for  the  Savages 284 

One  Proof  that   the   World   is  round  286 

A  Song  of  Home 289 

What  occasions  the  Tides      ....  293 

In  Cook's  Strait 295 

Wiser  than  a  whole  Family  of  Owls    ,  296 

The  aspiring  Rooster        298 

A  Source  of  Wealth 299 

The  Calm  of  Sunset 302 

Sydney 303 

Ralph  leaning  over  the  Ship's  Rail     .  306 

*'  Glorious  "  to  be  a  Sailor     ....  308 

Trying  to  carry  a  plate  of  Soup       .     .  309 

Not  so  glorious  to  be  a  Sailor   .     .     .  310 

After  the  Storm        311 

Hobson's  Bay  Railway  Pier  ....  313 


Bourke  Street,  Melbourne,  1880,  look- 
ing East 3x6 

Public  Museum  and  Library      .     .     .  318 

I  wonder  which  way  Home  is    .     .     .  319 

Group  of  Aborigines 321 

A  Dog  ran  up  and  barked  at  them     .  327 

Prize  Australian  Sheep 329 

Not  much  Wool  on  them 332 

The  Keeper  of  the  Sheep  fast  asleep  335 

A  Cousin  to  your  Boundary  Rider      .  337 

Wake  up,  Rick 341 

Bees!   Bees! 342 

All  Aboard  for  Sunrise  Land     .     .     .  343 

On  the  jump 344 

The  Black  Swan 345 

Lyre  Bird        347 

A  familiar  Creature 348 

The  Bower  Bird 348 

Hammock  Bird ,     .  349 

A  big  Bird  stalking  toward  him      -     .  349 

Through  the  Wilds  of  Australia     .     .  352 

Trading  with  the  Aborigines      .     .     .  353 

Christmas  in  Old  England    •     •     •     .  355 

Kangaroo  and  Baby  358 

Christmas  in  Australia 359 

Chinese  Artist 362 

On  and  across  a  Sea  of  Silver  .     .     .  363 

Chinese  Junk 365 

Chinese  Rick  and  the  Lamp      .     .     .  366 

Out-door  Scenes  in  China     ....  369 

An  old  Citizen  of  the  Flowery  Land  371 

Hong  Kong  Woman 372 

A  young  Celestial 373 

Image  of  Confucius 374 

Image  of  Buddha 376 

A  cheap  Umbrella        378 

Lord  of  the  twenty-four  Umbrellas     .  379 

LTmbrella  Procession 380 

Chinese  Girls 381 

Joe  Pigtail 382 

Rick's  Dream 384. 


UKA.Ni)    CANON    Ol'     IIIK    CuJ.UKAlJO.    ^  (j.  Jov.    ,,..     ,.,./.) 


PREFACE. 


At.l  aboard  !  Wherever  one  may  have  a  chance  to  take  the  cars  for 
the  West,  we  invite  them  to  meet  us  in  San  Francisco  and  join  in  this 
proposed  trip.  It  will  cost  but  little ;  nothing  for  meals,  or  lodgings,  or 
extra  clothing,  for  steamboat  or  railroad  fare.  The  only  thing  needed  is 
the  possession  of  the  book  itaelf,  and  a  leisure  hour  under  a  garret-roof 
that  the  rain  is  tapping,  or  by  a  blazing  fire  in  winter,  or  out  in  a  swinging 
hammock  when   summer   comes. 

Are  there  not  hoys  who  like  adventure,  a  fire  and  a  chowder  on  the 
beach,  a  climb,  too,  up  a  sand-hummock,  though  vicious  gusts  and  pelting  rain 
may  follow?  Then  all  aboard  for  Sunrise  Lands!  Are  there  not  some  who 
are  shut  up  in  sick  rooms  ?  We  feel  for  you,  and  this  trip  is  for  you  also. 
We  have  spoken  to  the  "clerk  of  the  weather,"  who  has  promised  sunny 
skies.  There  will  be,  though,  one  storm,  but  not  a  raindrop  shall  reach 
you.  And  the  girls -^ do  we  leave  them  out?  They  are  all  welcome.  Plenty 
of  room  for  everybody.  The  Antelope  is  to  be  built  in  part  of  a  new 
material  —  iron  and  rubber.  She  will  last,  and  yet  she  will  swell  to  the 
size    of   any    desired   passenger-load,     AU-nhoiwd  I 

We  would  here  express  our  indebtedness  to  the  Rev.  D.  Crosby  Greene, 
D.  D.  of  the  Japan  Mission  of  the  American  Board,  and  one  of  the  transla- 
tors of  the  Japanese  New  Testament,  for  timely  suggestions  a«  to  Japanese 
customs,  and  also  acknowledge  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  E.  W.  and  L.  E. 
Page  of  New  York  city,  whose  experience  in  Australia  and  elsewhere  in 
the  Pacific  has  been  a  valuable  one.  And  we  want  to  be  able  to  thank 
every  one,  the  young  and  the  old,  for  going  with  us.  We  want  all  to  know 
Uuclti  Nat,  Ralph  and  Rick,  Jack  Bobstay  — but  the  last  bell  is  sounding ! 
All    aboard  I  E.  a.  r. 


ALL    ABOARD    FOR  SUNRISE    LANDS. 


CHAPTER    I 


WHO      THEY     WEKE. 


A 


LL  ABOARD  for  Sunrise  Lands !  All 
aboard !  "  And  wasn't  it  the  merriest 
voice  in  the  world  saying  this?  Then  it 
must  have  been  Uncle  Nat  who  gave  the 
above  invitation,  for  he  had  that  kind  of 
voice.  He  was  calling  out  to  his  enterpris- 
ing nephews,  Ralph  Rogers  and  his  brother, 
Rick,  as  they  took  the  cars  at  a  California 
station  for  San  Francisco.  Ralph  and  Rick 
were  Massachusetts  boys  whose  home  was  in 
Concord.  Their  father  had  long  been  dead, 
but  their  mother  still  kept  up  the  old  home.  "  It's  good  blood,  what  is 
in  you,  boys,"  the  mother  would  say.  "You  know  the  Concord  woman 
in  Revolutionary  times,  when  Major  Pitcairn  and  his  British  troops  came 
to  town.  The  court  house  had  been  set  on. fire,  and  it  threatened  to 
burn  her  house.  She  interceded  with  the  major,  her  water  pails  m  her 
hands,  and  got  him  to  put  the  fire  out.  She  belonged  to  our  family. 
Blood  tells,  boys.     Don't  forget." 

"No,   mother,   but  blood   won't  put   out   fires.     There  has   got   to 


>4 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRLSLi  LANDS. 


!)('  a  man  beliind  it,  and  mind  makes  the  man  here  in  America," 
said  Ralph,  one  day,  threatening  to  swell  to  the  size  of  a  Fourth  (jf 
July   speech. 

"  But  it  is  in  'eni,  the  blood  after  all,"  the  mother  said  to  herself. 
"  Their  ancestors  fought  at  Concord  Bridge." 

Ralph  was  about  fourteen,  and  Rick  three  years  and  a  half  3ounger. 
Rick  was  just  the  sort  of  boy  to  get  into  a  scrape,  enthusiastic  and 
impulsive,  and  Ralph  who  was  a  bit  cooler,  would  sometimes  prove  to 
be  the  very  boy  to  get  Rick  out  of  a  scrape.      Rick  had  a  face  for- 


CUNCORl)     ISRllJGK. 


ever  on  the  smile,  his  blue  eyes  lauglnng,  and  his  mouth  also,  except 
—  look  out  for  such  moments !  When  Rick  looked  sober,  and  talk- 
ing excitedly,  said,  "  See  -7-  see,  R  —  Ralph  !  Look-er  here  !  Couldn't 
you  and  I "  —  his  mother  did  not  need  to  hear  the  rest. 

''Oh,  dear,  what  is  Rick  up  to  now?"  she  would  exclaim. 

Rick's  soberness  meant  that  the  mischievous  thought  laughing  out 
of   his    eyes    and   mouth,    had    shaped    itself    into    a   i)lan,    and    would 


3llE     IN  IKKCKliKH     Willi      I  UK     .MA|OR. 


WHO  THEY    WERE. 


17 


soon  be  heard  from.  Ralph's  face  was  more  quiet  and  subdued, 
and  his  eyes  were  of  a  softer  hazel,  but  there  was  tlie  same  kind  of 
family-smile  —  their  father  had  it  before  them  —  making  its  sunny 
home  in  the  corners  of  Ijoth  his  eyes  and  mouth.  They  were  gen- 
erous, big-hearted  boys,  though  inheriting  from  our  eonmion  father, 
Adam,  a  good  share  of  human  infirmities,  liking  fun  and  their  own 
way  more  than  was  always  convenient  for  their  mother. 

"  Oh,  dear,"  she  would  sometimes  say,  ''  I  don't  know  what  Rick  is 
coming  to,  and  there  is  Ralph  Avho  is  more  steady,  but  he  surprises 
me  also,  now  and  then.  But  there,  I  mean  to  do  the  best  I  can, 
and  ask  God  to  do  the  rest."     In  all  this   she  Avas  very  sensible. 

An  unwelcome  guest,  the  scarlet  fever,  came  into  the  house  one 
day,  and  when  it  had  gone  out  again,  it  spitefully  left  Ralph  and 
Rick  very  '*  weak  and  mizable "  as  old  Nurse  Fennel  said.  Rick's 
round  face,  whose  eyes  and  mouth  'were  the  hiding  places  of  con- 
stant and  roguish  smiles,  looked  quite  narrow  and  sad,  while  Ralph 
stepped  feebly  as  if  his  next  request  would  be  for  a  crutch. 

•'  Yes,  mizable,  jest  mizable 
them  boys  ai-e,  and  you  jest 
need.  Miss  Rogers,  to  give 
them  a  change  of  hair.  A 
change  of  hair  is  what  will 
fix  en^,"  triumphantly  said 
Nurse  Fennel.  She  had 
thought  this  out  one  day  while 
busily  knitting,  at  the  same 
time  offering  to  her  tame 
squirrel  a  home  in  her  pockert.. 
She  had  lived  in  England  in 
her  earlier  days,  afterward  coming  to  Yankee-land.      Consequently,  the 


NURSK    FENNEL    A  f    HOME. 


i8  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

peculiarities  of  dialect  of  the  old  and  tlie  new  country  had  fastened 
themselves  upon  her  like  the  barnacles  encrusting  the  piers  of  an  old 
wharf.  "  A  change  of  what  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Rogers,  fancying  that  the 
old  lady  wanted  the  boys'  locks  to  be  removed.  "  Oh,  I  see  now  !  But 
they  take  the  air  and  walk  out  every  day." 

"  I  mean  a  journey,  marm." 

"  A  journey  ? "  thought  Mrs.  Rogers.     "  Where  can  it  be  ?  " 

There  happened  along,  that  very  week.  Uncle  Nat  Stevens.  God 
bless  the  Uncle  Nats  with  which  he  has  sprinkled  the  world  like 
plums  in  a  pudding.  This  Uncle  Nat  was  a  man  past  forty,  and  a 
sea-captain.  He  had  a  stout  body  and  a  big  head,  a  rosy  face,  brown 
eyes  and  a  brown  moustache  to  match  them.  He  had  much  energy 
of  manner,  and  he  was  a  thorough  seaman.  He  had  helped  himself  and 
gone  up  rapidly  from  post  to  post ;  but  he  was  ready  to  help  others, 
and  an  old  sailor  said,  "  the  cap'n  was  a  regular  chicken  at  heart  if  any 
one  might  be  swamped  in  a  rough  sea  and  need  help,"  for  his  heart 
matched  in  size  his  head. 

The  day  after  his  arrival  in  Concord,  the  captain  and  Mrs.  Rogers  were 
talking  about  family-matters.  "  The  boys  are  pretty  well,  but  they  do 
need  a  change,"  affirmed  Mrs.  Rogers. 

"  Ellen  Maria,"  the  captain  replied  in  his  brisk,  rapid  way,  "  you  say 
your  lambs  need  a  change,  and  I  don't  wonder,  for  they  look  thin  as  a 
potato-skin.  Now  see^  You  know  I  am  said  to  be  one  of  those  folks 
always,  along  just  m  time  to  put  their  foot  into  everything." 

So  he  was,  but  it  was  a  most  excellent  foot  he  brought  with  him. 

"  Now,  let  me  tell  you  what  kind  of  a  cruise  I  shall  be  up  to  this 
year.  I  am  going  to  San  Francisco,  and  there  taking  steamer,  shall 
run  over  to  Japan.  At  a  Japanese  port,  I  expect  to  find  my  old 
ship,  the  Antelope.  She  has  been  in  other  hands  the  past  year,  but 
when    she  reaches   Japan,   the  owners  wish    to    make    a    change,  and 


WHO  THEY   WERE. 


19 


THE   SrsPENSION    ACT. 


want  me  to  take  her  again. 
Then  I  sHp  down  through  tlwi 
Pacific  to  New  Zealand,  across 
the  water  to  Australia,  then  up 
to  Hong  Kong,  and  afterwards 
I  may  go  to  India  and  Egypt, 
>  through  the  Mediterranean,  home. 

Look  here,  Ellen  Maria!"     Ellen 
Maria  looked. 
Now  I  am  going  to  make  a  proposition, 
and  that  is,  to  let    me   take   your   two    boys 
with   me." 

Ellen  Maria's  eyes  went  up  and  her  hands 
went  down.  "  Massy  !  "  she  ejaculated. 
"  I  am  in  earnest,  sister.  You  must  see  that  your  boys  need  some- 
thing, for  they  are  all  pe- 
tered out.  They  have  lost 
their  vitalit}',  or  Avhatever 
you  call  it.  What  a  dif- 
ference between  to-day  and 
the  last  time  I  visited  you  ! 
They  are  quiet  as  lambs 
now,  and  so  I  called  them 
that.  There,  the  last  time 
1  was  here,  I  remember  one 
of  them  got  caught  in  an 
apple  tree  back  of  your 
sitting-room  window.  It 
was  hardly  a  case  of  inani- 
mate   suspension,    but    the 


THE   BARREL  ACT. 


20 


ALL  AJWAKD  FOR  SL'XRISE  LANDS. 


very  reverse  of  it.  The  time  before,  when  I  was  at  home,  one  of  them 
tumbled  into  a  barrel,  and  two  of  his  young  friends  came  to  the 
rescue  and  fished  him  out.  To-day,  their  vitality  seems  all  gone. 
Now  you  let  me  have  those  boys  and  I  will  take  the  best  care  of  them 
while  away,  and  bring  them  back  to  you  safe  and  sound.  Won't  they 
pick  up  while  gone,  and  won't  they  learn  a  lot  also  I  " 


(;KAN1)I'A    KtXlKKS'  HuMt:    IN    sr.M.Mi;K. 


"  That  is  splendid  in  you,  Nat,  but  how  can  I  spare  them  ?  Don't 
whisper  a  word  to  them." 

Those  enterprising  boys,  "  quiet  as  lambs,"  got  hold  of  the  plan  in  less 
than  an  hour,  and  five  minutes  after  knowing  it,  jiresented  themselves  to 
their  mother  in  their  best  suits,  carrying  an  old  leather  trunk  between 


WHO  THEY   WERE.  21 

them,  and  in  each  unoccupied  hand  a  travelHng-bag,  saying  they  wanted 
to    bid   mother   good-bye   before    starting    to   find   the    sunrise ! 

That  settled  the  matter,  and  in  a  few  days,  it  was  decided  that 
they  might  accompany  Uncle  Nat  on  his  trip. 

"•  We  must  go  to  grandpa's  first,"  said  Rick. 

Dear  old  grandpa !  Like  a  stream  coming  down  from  a  mountain- 
top  and  watering  many  fields,  is  the  influence  of  loving  grandparents 
over  the  generations  below  them.  Grandpa  Rogers  lived  in  a  house 
approached  by  one  of  the  prettiest,  and  most  leafy  walks  of  summer. 
The  trees  were  bare  now,  but  the  home  itself  was  like  an  old  oak 
covered  with  the  foliage  of  many  tender  and  beautiful  associations. 

When  grandpa  had  been  visited,  Uncle  Nat  and  his  nephews  left 
New  England. 

The  trip  to  California  was  made,  and  a  visit  also  to  some  California 
friends,  the  Peters.  The  Peters  were  sorry  to  have  their  Eastern 
visitors  leave,  and  the  boys'  departure  was  especially  regretted  by  a 
colored  youth  on  the  premises,  Josiali,  or  Siah,  as  he  was  generally 
called.  Siah  was  a  stout,  black  boy  caught  up  by  the  wave  of  some 
colored  exodus  from  the  South,  and  carried  West  by  it.  He  had  no 
father  or  mother,  but  had  left  an  old  aunty  behind  who  sent  after 
him  the  prayers  she  could  not  personally  follow.  She  sent  also  her 
most  dearly  prized  earthly  treasure,  a  little  pocket  Bible.  Asking 
her  minister  to  pick  out  passages  appropriate  to  a  young  person, 
she  then  drew  with  her  own  hand  a  big  pencil-mark  about  them. 
They  were  admonitions  after  this  style  :  "  My  son,  if  sinners  entice  thee, 
consent  thou  not." 

As  Siah  could  not  read,  he  did  not  know  just  what  precious  stones 
might  be  in  these  caskets,  but  their  nature  in  general,  he  understood, 
that  it  was  "  something  bery  good  fur  young  folks,"  and  it  had  its 
influence.     Certain  stains,  too,   he  knew  were  aunty's  tear-marks,  and 


22  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

this  touched  him.  Aunty's  Bible  and  a  certain  amount  of  self-respect 
had  kept  Siah,  amid  all  his  migrations,  from  that  carelessness  and 
coarseness  so  incident  to  such  a  life.  He  was  at  work  now  on  the 
farm  of  Mr.  Peters,  Uncle  Nat's  host,  and  he  and  the  Rogers  boys 
were  excellent  friends. 

''  I  wish  I  could  go  wid  ye,"  said  Siah.  "  'Pears  to  me  as  if  I  must." 
There  was  no  way  opening  itself  to  him,  and  to  Siah's  great  re- 
gret, he  was  not  able  to  join  in  this  "hunt  fur  de  sunrise,"  as  he 
called  it.  He  followed  them  though  as  far  as  the  door  of  the  train 
that  was  to  bear  them  away,  and  when  the  engine  began  to  sneeze 
and  grunt,  he  joined  in  the  start,  and  grinning,  raced  as  far  as  he 
could,  beside  the  track.  Ralph  and  Rick  turned  to  look  at  him  once 
more,  and  they  caught  a  glimpse  of  his  face,  the  smile  gone,  his  big, 
mournful  eyes  watching  the  vanishing  train. 

.  "  There,  boys,  we  are  off  at  last,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  "  and  we  shall 
be  in  Oakland  in  three  hours.  San  Francisco  is  not  far  from  the 
sea  on  a  bay,  and  about  half  a  dozen  miles  across  the  bay  from  San 
Francisco,  is  Oakland.  We  get  out  at  the  latter  place  and  are  ferried 
across  the  bay  to  San  Francisco." 

It  was  evening  when  they  took  the  ferry-boat  for  San  Francisco. 
All  about  them  stretched  the  waters  of  the  bay,  one  mass  of  black- 
ness, but  before  them  flashed  the  lights  of  San  Francisco,  multi- 
plying as  they  neared  the  city,  brightening  and  sharpening,  till  they 
seemed  like  the  many  camp-fires  of  an  army  resting  on  the  slope 
of  a  hill. 


CHAPTER   II. 


WESTERN    FREAKS. 


^^OME  one  was  making  a 
*^^  sound  like  a  locomotive 
whistle. 

"Oh-h-h-h!  Isn't  that 
steep  ?     That's  like  them." 

It  was  Rick.  Hs  was  look- 
ing at  a  book  of  pictures  lying 
on  a  table  in  the  parlor  of  the 
San  Francisco  hotel  where  Uncle 
Nat  was  stopping.  When  he 
said,  "That's  like  them,"  he 
meant  pictures  of  canons,  a  fea- 
ture of  scenery  the  boys  saw 
in  California. 

"  Do  ,  you  want  me  to  tell  you  about  the  pictures  ?  I  have  been  all 
through  that  country." 

Tliis  interrupting  voice  was  a  very  pleasant  one,  and  it  sounded 
directly  above  Rick's  head.  He  looked  up  and  saw  a  man's  face  over 
him. 

"  Oh  —  is  —  this  your  book  ? "  asked  Rick. 

"  Oh  that  is  all  right.  Now  if  you  would  like  to  hear  about  those  pic- 
tures you  get  that  boy  over  there  in  the  corner,  for  I  guess  he  is 
your  brother,  and  I  will  tell  you  both  about  them." 


ECHO    ROCK. 


24 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


The  stranger  meant  Ralph. 

"Ralph,"  said  Rick,  approaching  his  brother,  "a  man  is  going  to 
tell  you  and  me  about  some  pictures.  It  is  a  country  that  uncle  said 
he  was  sorry  to  skip  on  his  way  here." 

"  That  man  ?  "  he  asked.  "•  1  know  him  ;  that  man's  name  is  Greene, 
for  1  saw  him  write  it  in    the  register  in  the  office,"  he  whispered. 

The    stranger 
was  very  social. 

"  I  want  to  tell 
you  about  the  won- 
derful canons  we 
have  in  the  far 
West.  Did  you 
ever  see  a  canon  ?  " 
"  We  saw  one 
on  our  way,  sir, 
and  Uncle  Nat 
promised  some 
time  to  tell  us  the 
reason  for  it,"  re- 
marked Ralph.  "  It 
was  here  in  Cali- 
.  fornia  among  the 
mountains,  and 
Uncle  Nat  has 
seen  big,  big  ones 
in  t  li  e  Yosemite 
Valley." 


LOWER  CANON    OK  THE   KANAB.      (3OOO /i't7  deep. 


"  Yes,   and  this  will  illustrate  the  whole  subject.     And  Uncle  Nat, 
who  is  Uncle  Nat?" 


THE  GRAND  CANON,  LOOKING   WEST   FROM   TORO  WEAP. 


WESTERN  FREAKS. 


27 


*^  He  is  here,   and  at  your  service,   sir,"  said  some  one  in  the  rear 
of  the  group. 

The  stranger  turned 
and  levelled  a  pair  of 
bis:  eve-sflasses  at  the 
late  arrival. 

"  Nat  Stevens !  " 

^'  Bill  Greene  !  " 

"Where  did  you 
come  from  ?  " 

"And  where  did  you 
come  from  ?  " 

"Boys,  this  is  Mr. 
Greene,  with  whom  I 
used  to  go  to  school 
years  ago." 

"Didn't  I  sa^Mt  was 
Greene  ? ' '  Avhispered 
Ralph  in  a  tone  of  tri- 
umph. 

When  the  two  old 
school-mates  had  ex- 
pressed their  mutual 
pleasure  at  the  meet- 
ing, and  explained  to 
one  another  their 
courses  of  travel,  Mr. 
Greene  resumed  his  talk  which  had  been  so  pleasantly  inter- 
rupted. 

"I  was  going  to  tell  the  boys  what  caused  the  canons,  some  of  which 


GUNNISON'S    BUTTE  AT  THE  FOOT  OF  GRAY  CANON.    {Z-OO  feet  high.) 


28 


ALL  AJWARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


CLIMBING   THE   GRAND   C.UNUiN. 


you  have  seen.     Either  one  of  you 
know,  boys  ?  " 

"A  drop  of  water,"  promptly 
replied   Ralph. 

"  Pooh  !  "  exclaimed  Rick. 

"But,  Rick,  your  brother  is 
nearer  right  than  you  would  think 
for.  These  rocky  valleys  down 
through  which  rattle  the  moun- 
tain streams,  may  have  been  af- 
fected by  convulsions  of  the  earth's 
surface,  but  drops  of  water  have 
certainly  been  at  work,  cutting 
and  wearing  away. 

"A  stream  sweeps  from  the 
mountains  down  into  the  plains, 
and  as  it  rolls  on,  it  cuts  like  a 
wheel  into  the  earth.  By-and- 
by,  the  groove  becomes  very  deep. 
The  river  Colorado  has  hollowed 
out  a  canon  over  a  thousand  miles 
of  its  way. 

"  Here  is  what  we  term  Terrace 
Canons,  and  you  can  see  the  deep 
groove  back  through  these  steps 
or  terraces.  At  the  foot  of  the 
first  terrace  or  step,  we  see  the 
water  on  whose  surface  drift 
the  boats  of  travellers  of  some 
kind.       In      the    Grand    Canon. 


bIRD'S-EYE  VIKW   uK  TERRACE  CANONS. 


WESTERN  FREAKS. 


tiee  what  magnificent  amphithea- 
tres have  been  hollowed  out  in  the 
rock.  The  traveller  finds  traces  of 
volcanic  action,  the  lava  pouring 
into  the  river-bed,  and  the  water 
cutting  through  the  lava.  It  is 
no  trifling  thing  to  go  through 
the  Grand  Canon,  where  a  fellow 
is  boxed  between  these  high  walls 
of  the  river,  and  on  he  must  go, 
over  bad  places  in  the  way,  where 
the  water  sweeps  down  and  rushes 
and  whirls.  Then  you  may  come 
to  smooth  water,  one  surface  of 
glass  stretching  from  shore  to 
shore  save  as  some  long,  wind- 
ing ripple  breaks  it.  It  looks 
pretty  calm  in  the  Gate  of  Lo- 
dore,  does  it  not?" 

"Oh-h!  oh-h!"  broke  out 
Ralph. 

His  eyes  were  fixed  on  a  deep 
mountain-cut,  and  he  began  to 
read :  ''  Winnie's  Grotto,  a  side 
canon,  walls  two  thousand  feet 
high."  Not  only  were  the  walls 
high,  but  there  were  profiles  cut 
out  in  the  outlines  of  the  rocky 
walls,  faces  that  scowled  at  one 
another  over  the  deep,  gloomy  pit. 


WINNIE'S   GROTTO.      (2000  FEET.) 


32 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


and  the  boys  amused  ^themselves  by  tracing  their  hard,  stern  lineaments. 

"  One    beautiful    canon    is    Marble    Caiion,"    said   Mr.  Greene.     ''  At 

least  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high,  are  the  lofty  walls  of  marble. 


interpki;ter  and  his  famiiy. 


The  shades  of  marble  are  varied,  and  where  the  water  has  rul)bed  and 
smoothed  them,  they  are  charming.  Marble  Caiion  is  sixty-five  and 
a  half  miles  long,  and  starting  with  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet, 
this  is  increased  to  three  thousand   five   hundred  feet." 


MARIU-E   CANON. 


WESTERN  FREAKS. 


35 


GATE   OF    LODORE. 


"See  that  woman  in  black!."  called  out  Ralph. 
'^  That  is  a  place,"  remarked   Mr.   Greene,  ''  which    is    called    Islana 
Monument,  and   it   is  one  of  the  curionslv-shaped  rocks  you  will   find. 


36 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


They  may  take  the  form  of  domes,  pinnacles,  alcoves,  sculptured  cathe- 
dral walls." 


RUNNING  A   RAPID. 


"  It  would  take  a  pretty  good  climber  to  go  up  some  of  those  walls." 
remarked  Uncle  Nat. 


WESTERN  FREAKS. 


37 


"  Yes  if  he  will  try,  he  had  better  borrow  a  pair  of  wings  to  scale 
certain  places." 

Mr.  Greene  went  on  to  say,  "  One  statement  I  made,  I  want  to  fill 
out.     I  spoke  of   the    action    of 
water  in  the  forming  of    canons 
and   referred   to    other    agencies. 
There  have  plainly  been  the  lat- 
ter.    One    da};,    I   noticed  in  the 
Colorado,    masses     of  "  lava-rock, 
some  of  them  low,  and  yet  others 
rose  up  to  a  height  of  a  hundred 
feet  and  more.     After  a  while,  1 
came  to  an  old  dead  volcano  on 
the  right  of   a  fall    in  the  river. 
From  the  mouth  of  this  volcano, 
immense    lava-streams   had   been 
discharged  into  the  river,  and  it 
looked  as  if  in  all,  a  mass  twelve 
or  fifteen  hundred  feet  deep  had 
been  poured  out.     Then  the  water 
cut  its  wa}'  through,  and  you  can 
see    in    some    places    a    line    of 
basalt  on  either  side.     Here  is  a 
question   that    might    be    asked. 
In  the    forming  of  canons,    why 
did  not  the  rivers  run  round  the 
mountains    rather    than    through 
them  ?     Water  when  it  meets  an 
obstacle  is  apt  to  avoid  it,  but  here  the  river  flows  through  the  mountain. 
One  might    say  the  water  found  a  split  in  the  mountains  and  poured 


ISLAND    MONUMENT,   GLEN  CANON. 


38 


ALL  ABOARD  J  OR  SUNRLSE  LAXDS. 


through  the  split,  but  examination  shows  the  water  has  been  cutting 
its  channel.  There  is  one  theory  which  will  stand  till  the  next  one 
comes  along,  for  science,  as  the 
farmer  said  of  his  steer,  is  '■  an 
uneasy  crittur.'  We  will  suppose 
the  river  to  be  running  across 
the  coinitry,  its  surface  not  espec- 
ially broken,  when  one  of  those 
changes  may  have  taken  place  of 
which  we  have  evidence,  a  wrink- 
ling  of  the  surface  through  '  the 
contracting  or  shriveling  of  the 
earth.'  The  wrinkle  may  be  along 
one  but  not  high  enough  to  turn 
the  river  from  its  course,  which 
chafes  against  this  little  elevation 
and  rubs  its  way  through  it.  What 
now  if  that  process  goes  on,  the 
'wrinkle '  rising,  l)ut  no  faster 
than  the  water  can  cut  its  way  ? 
At  last,  you  have  a  moinitain- 
range  going  across  the  country, 
and  a  river  flowing  in  a  deej) 
nibuntain-cut  or  canon.  Prof.  Pow- 
ell   says : 

" '  The  mountains  were  not 
thrust  up  as  peaks,  but  a  great 
block  was  slowly  lifted,  and  from  this  the  mountains  were  carved  by  the 
clouds  —  patient  artists,  who  take  what  time  may  l)e  necessary  for 
tlieir  work.     We  speak  of  mountains  forming  clouds  about  their  tops; 


MARBLE   CANON. 


WESTERN  FREAKS.  3 

the  clouds  have  formed  the  mountains.  Lift  a  district  of  granite, 
or  marble,  into  their  region,  and  they  gather  about  it,  and  luu'l 
their  storms  against  it,  beating  the  rocks  into  sand,  and  then  they 
carry  them  out  into  the  sea,  carving  out  canons,  gulches,  and  val- 
leys, and  leaving  plateaus  and  mountains  embossed  on  the  surface.' 
"  The  action  of  the  elements  in  this  western  country  is  marked. 
A  butte  is  a  peak  or  elevation  too  high  to  be  a  liill  but  too  low 
for  a   mountain.     We  have  some  fine  ones  among  or   near  the  Colo- 


BUrrES   OF   THE   CROSS    IN    THE   TOOM-PIN    WU-NEAR   TUR-WEAF. 


rado  canons.  It  is  thought  that  the  meeting  of  two  lateral  or  side- 
canons  will  account  for  this,  and  the  water  has  thus  cut  out  these 
buttes  with  their  terraces  and  towers.  Prof.  Powell  speaks  of  those 
near  Labyrinth  Canon,  each  one  '  so  regular  and  beautiful  that  you 
can  hardly  cast  aside  the  belief  that  they  are  works  of  Titanic 
art. 

"  *  It  seems  as  if  a  thousand  battles  had   been    fought   on    the  plains 


.40 


ALL  ABOARD  LOK  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


below,  and  on  every  field  the  giant  heroes  had  built  a  monument,  com- 
pared with  which  the  pillar  on  Bunker  Hill  is  but  a  mile  stone.  But  no 
human  hand  has  placed  a  block  in  all  those  wonderful  structures.  The 
rain  drops  of  unreckoned  ages  have  cut  them  all  from  the  solid  rock.' " 

"  You  saw   a   pretty  old   river,    Mr.    Greene,"   said   Ralph. 

"Yes,  that  I  did." 

"Did  you  see  any  Indians?"  inquired  Ralph. 


INDIAN   VILLAGE. 


"  Yes,  we  found  it  quite  handy  to  have  those  who  could  interpret 
for  us. 

"  Sometimes,  journeying  along,  we  found  arrow-heads,  or  flint  chips,  or 
Indian  trails,  and  then  we  might  come  to  an  Indian  garden.      When 


WESTERN  FREAKS. 


41 


we   had  them  m    our  company  at    our  camp-fire  one  night,  they  told 
us  a  famous  story  tliougli  a  pretty  long  one." 
"-  What  was  it  about  ?  "  asked  Rick,  eagerly. 


> 

#f      '          i^/*.!                                       ^i 

^-  ■      ^^^P^-" 

t 

CAMP-FIRE   AT    KLFIN    WATER    POCKET. 


"  The  name  was    So-kus  Wai-un-ats,  told  by  To-mor-ro-un-ti-kai,  anc] 
the  first  word  in  it  was  Tum-pwi-nai-ro-gwi-nump." 

"  Oh  dear  me  !  "  thought  Rick.     ''  Guess  that  will  do." 

The  others  were  laughing. 

"  Oh  I  know  Bill  Greene  of  old !  "  said  Uncle  Nat.     "  He  is  joking." 

But  he  was  not  joking. 


CHAPTER    III 


AT    SAN    FRANCISCO. 


A  LL  his  friends  knew  that 
•^  ^  Uncle  Nat  was  an  intelli- 
gent traveller  —  who  read  as 
he  travelled. 

The  next  day  after  the  ar- 
rival in  San  Francisco,  he  said 
to  Ralph  and  Rick,  "  I  have 
bought  you  some  books,  and  I 
want  you  to  read  them.  They 
will  tell  you  about  many  of 
the  places  we  shall  visit  on  your 
journey." 

"  Do  you  remember,  uncle, 
about  the  people  coming  here 
for  gold?"  asked  Ralph. 

"Yes,  that  began  in  1848. 
Gold  for  a  long  time  was  known  to  be  here,  but  what  started  the 
great  excitement  was  the  finding  of  a  piece  of  gold  when  they 
were  digging  for  a  mill-race  at  Coloma.  That  was  m  January, 
1848,  and  people  began  to  gather  here  that  year.  It  was  in  1849. 
in  the  spring,  that  a  big  wave  of  emigration  swept  over  uur  land 
towards  California.  Some  went  over  the  plains,  and  others  by  tlic 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  and    others  still     by  the  long  route  around  Cape 

42 


SrANDlNG    ROCKS   ON    THE    HRINK    OF    MU-AV    CANON. 


AT  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


-13 


Horn.     What   the    Cape  Horn   route  may  be,  some  poor  fellows  have 
found  out  to  their  sorrow.     The  vessel  starting  out  in  hope  may  end 
a  wreck.     The  journey   over  the   Isthmus   of  Panama  in   those  days, 
was  no  agreeable  thing, 
amid   summer-heat,  and 
the  way  over  the  plains 
was  very  tedious.    How- 
ever, many  went  to  the 
Land  of  Gold. 

"  I  was    a    boy  then, 
and    I    remember     how 
high  the  gold  fever  ran 
in  my  New  England  town. 
A  lot  went  off  in  an  old 
whaler   called   the   Ann 
Parry.     I  remember  go- 
ing down  to  the  wharf  to  see  the  party  off.     All  the  place  swarmed 
with  spectators,  and  those  on  board  the  Avhaler  seemed  thick  as  bees. 
They  had  a  long  voyage  before  them,  away  round  Cape  Horn,  the  old 
way,  but  who  cared  for  that  ?     I  remember  one  young  fellow  who  had 

been  a  tailor,  but 
h  e  concluded  t  o 
change  the  first  let- 
ter of  his  occupa- 
tion, and  become 
sailor.  He  started 
to  go  up  the  shrouds, 
and  for  a  while  this 
tyro  did  very  well. 
But  he  showed  that 


HOW   THE   VOYAGE    HEGINS. 


CAI'E    HORN. 


44  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

he  was  a  bungler,  for  his  foot  slipped.  Fortunately  he  did  not  tum- 
ble. The  people  saw  it,  and  laughed  at  the  man  who  if  a  Jack  Tar, 
was  plainly  just  out  of  the  tar-pot.  Well,  a  great  many  came  here  to 
California  from  every  quarter,  and  California  became  a  famous  place. 
A  big,  fine  city  has  grown  up  here." 

Frequent  excursions  were  made  by  Uncle  Nat  and  his  nephews  from 
their  hotel.  They  visited  the  Presidio,  Seal  Rock,  Woodward's  Garden, 
Lone  Mountain  Cemetery,  Golden  Gate  Park,  and  climbed  the  sand 
hills   that  wall  off  the  city  from  the  Pacific. 

"  0  uncle,  take  us  to  the  Chinese  quarter ! "   besought  Ralph. 

"  Chinese  quarter,  Ralph  ?  All  right,  I  will,"  and  Uncle  Nat  took 
them  the  very  day  he  was  asked.  They  saw  the  little  'shops  where 
the  butcher  sells  his  pork  cut  in  such  queer  pieces,  displaying  also 
his  chicken  and  fish,  where  the  tea  dealer  peddles  his  choice  herb,  and 
the  clothier  his  funny  tunics  or  blouses. 

"And  — what  is  that?"  asked  Rick.     "My!" 

"That's  a  joss-house,"  said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Joss-house  ?     What  do  they  call  it  that  for  ?  " 

"  The  Portuguese  for  God  is  deos,  and  the  imperfect  pronunciation  of 
this  by  the  Chinese  gives  the  word  joss." 

They  looked  inside.  It  was  some  festival-day,  for  many  people  were 
there.  On  the  walls  of  the  house  were  queer  decorations,  and  near  the 
door,  was  a  big  bell  that  a  Chinaman  struck.  There  were  ugly  images 
to  represent  the  good  and  the  evil  powers,  also  the  man  cast  out  of 
heaven,  and  before  these,  sandal-wood  tapers  Were  burning. 

"  The  Chinese,"  explained  Uncle  Nat,  "  believe  in  two  powers,  good 
and  bad.  The  good,  they  reason,  will  be  friendly  any  way.  It  is  the 
bad  that  will  harm  them,  and  must  receive  special  attention  and  be 
propitiated.  Consequently  they  try  to  keep  the  latter  quiet  and  well- 
disposed.     Knowing  how   powerful   is  the  influence  of  a  good   dinner, 


AT  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


47 


they  offer  food  of  various  kinds,  and  this  explains  the  dishes  you  will 
see  in  a  joss-house.  Then  they  have  a  certain  course  of  life  which 
thev  feel  they  must  lead,  that  they  may  secure  peace  hereafter,  provided 

the  evil  one  does  not  inter- 
fere. But  that  they  may  not 
be  expelled  from  the  Chinese 
heaven  hereafter,  they  keep 
in  the  joss-house  the  image  of 
the  man  that  was  cast  out  of 
lieaven,  as  a  reminder." 

After  the  visit  to  the  josS'- 
house,  Uncle  Nat  stepped  into 
a  store  to  make  a  purchase, 
leaving  Rick  and  Ralph  on  the 
sidewalk.  With  their  custom- 
ary impulsiveness,  they  decided 
it  could  do  no  harm  to  cro 
ahead  a  little  way;  and  having 
inspected  the  neighborhood  they 
could  then  return  to  Uncle 
Nat.  - 

"What's  that?"  asked 
Ralph,  as  they  turned  a  corner. 
In  the  street  was  a  young  Chi- 
naman in  a  blue  tunic  and 
baggy  blue  trousers.  He  was 
carrying  a  basket  that  must 
have  contained  a  heavy  article, 
for  he  often  shifted  the  basket 
from  hand  to  hand  as  if  it  hurt 


THE   MINUTE    MAN. 


48 


ALL  ABOARD  J  OR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


him.  He  passed  a  group  of  street  urchins,  who  evidently  began  at  once 
to  plot  mischief.  Soon  a  boy  ran  up  to  him,  and  giving  his  tunic  or 
blouse  an  energetic  pull,  rushed  to  the  other  side  of  the  street.  When  the 
young  man  turned  to  face  his  aggressor,  a  second  boy  from  an  opposite 
quarter  rushed  up  unnoticed  and  gave  a  second  fierce  pull.     Like  a  vane 


shifting  about  on 
obeying ,  the  new 
Chinaman  turned 
But  then  a  third 
side   of  the  first 


a  very  squally  day,  and 
current  that  impels  it,  the 
to  notice  this  new  invasion, 
assailant  came  up  on  the 
attack,  pulling  and  jostling 
—  a  fourth  arrived  and  a 
fifth  even  —  the  young 
man  struggling  in  their 
midst  like  a  hen  with  a 
parcel  of  hawks.  He  did 
not  dare  put  down  his 
basket  even  for  a  moment, 
aware  that  the  harpies 
would  have  immediately 
clutched  it,  and  his  reten- 
tion of  his  property  made 
resistance  all  the  more  diffi- 
cult. Ralph  and  Rick  were 
l3oys  living  in  a  town  that  had  a  statue  of  the  "  Minute  man  "  of  revolution- 
ary days  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to  fly  to  arms  and  resist  Britain's 
overshadowing  power,  and  they  were  not  going  to  see  the  weaker  side 
hi  a  fight  —  be  it  Chinaman  or  freedman  —  crowded  under  foot. 
"  Come  on,  Rick  !  "  shouted  Ralph. 

Rick  generally  went   off  at  a  l)ound  any  way,  but  if  he  saw  Ralph 
ahead,,  he  would    spring   all   the   quicker.     And   away   he  went  after 


THE   GOOD   WOMAN. 


HOW   THE   VOYAGE    MAY    END. 


AT  SAN  FRANClStO. 


51 


Ralph,  rushing  and  shouting.  Ralph  grabbed  a  boy  who  had  seized 
the  basket,  and  repeating  an  old  trick  which  he  had  practised  on 
almost  every  one  at  home  till  they  were  about  crazy,  he  neatly  inserted 
his  foot  between  the  boy's  legs  and  tripped  him  up.  There  was  now 
a  fresh  uproar.  Round  a  street  corner  came  a  reinforcement  of  three 
street  Arabs  longing  for  an  opportunity  to  stretch  their  idle  muscles. 


come  very  seri- 
Suddehly,  Un- 
brawny     form 


Matters  threatened  to  be 
ous  for  Ralph  and  Rick, 
cle  Nat  appeared.  His  big, 
rose  above  the  assailants 
threateningly,  as  a  broom 
over  a  cloud  of  mosquitoes. 

"Away  with  ye,"  he 
shouted,  seizing  a  couple  of 
boys  by  the  collar  at  once. 

Was  it  a  giant-torpedo  ex- 
ploding in  their  midst  ?  It 
certainly  had  the  effect  of 
one.  The  hornet  swarm 
broke  up  immediately,  leaving  the  young 
Chinaman  alone  with  his  defenders. 

"  Look  here,  boys  !  "  said  Uncle  Nat  to 
his  enterprising  nephews.  "  Don't  stray  off 
so.  Just  wait  for  me  and  then  when  we  see 
any  of  the  enemy  about,  we  will  charge  on 
them  all  together  and  rout  them  gloriously. 
There  goes  Joe  Pigtail !  " 

"  Is  that  his  name  ?  "  asked  Rick,  looking  wonderingly  at  the  boy. 

''No,  Rick,  but  that  will  identify  him  to  us.     What  grateful  bows 
he  gave  us  !     Let's  follow  him." 


JOE. 


52  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

When  the  newly  named  Joe  Pigtail  saw  that  they  were  following  him, 
he  stopped  and  waited  for  them. 

"  We  wanted  to  look  about  Chinatown,"  said  Uncle  Nat  to  Joe. 

"  Chinee-town  ?  Goodee.  Me  showee,"  and  he  kindly  led  them  to 
quarters  they  had  not  seen  and  to  other  queer  shops,  finally  stopping 
before  a  house  that  had  a  laundry  look. 

"  Me  —  me  !  "  he  said,  intimating  that  he  stopped  there,  and  beckon- 
ing them  in. 

In  the  outer  room  there  were  three  men  busy  with  laundry-work, 
and  through  an  open  door  a  fourth  could  be  seen  ,  occupied  with  some 
kind  of  cooking  in  his  shadowy  cubby-hole.  In  the  outer  room,  every- 
thing was  very  plain,  and  though  there  was  an  abundance  of  chances 
to  stand  up,  there  was  none  to  sit  down  unless  one  literally  took  the 
floor.  A  side  door  into  a  yard  had  been  swung  back  and  looking  across 
this  yard  the  boys  could  see  into  the  next  house  where  a  middle-aged 
American  lady  was  seated  beside  a  Chinese  boy  teaching  him  out  of  a 
book. 

"'  She  goodee  woman  —  like  you !  "  said  Joe  to  Uncle  Nat  in  compli- 
mentary tones. 

"  Uncle  Nat  ain't  a  woman,"  whispered  Rick  to  Ralph. 

When  they  left  the  place,  turning  to  look  back,  they  saw  Joe  stand- 
ing by  a  laundry  table  and  gazing  thoughtfully  upon  the  retreating 
party. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


AT     SEA. 


THE  City  of 
Tokio,  a 
vessel  belonging 
to  the  Pacific 
Mail  Steamship 
.  Co.,  was  lying  at 
her  wharf.  Men 
were  hurrying 
about,  giving  or 
obeying  orders. 
The  last  trunks 
were  going  on 
board.       People 

were  saying  good-bye,  while  the  fizz  of  escaping  steam  that  could  be 
heard,  plainly  said,  that  the  leviathan  was  impatient  to  be  off.  Every- 
thing was  ready  at  last.  Every  fastening  was  released  and  one  Sat- 
urday in  early  spring  the  steamship  gracefully,  majestically  moved 
away. 

'•  Hurrah !  "    shouted  Rick   enthusiastically,  as   he    stood  among  the 
passengers   watching  every  movement. 
"  Hurrah  !  "    shouted   Ralph. 

"  Hurrah !  "   responded   Uncle  Nat   and   the  other  passengers,  while 
a   group  of   enthusiastic  boys  on  shore  joined  in  three  ringing  cheers. 

53 


SUNSET  AT  GOLDEN  GATE  AND  FORT  POINT. 


54  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

In  a  few  moments  the  pilgrims  for  the  Sunrise  were  moving  rapidly 
down  the  bay. 

"There  are  some  sailing  craft  ahead,  boys.  They  look  slow,  don't 
they,  boys,  old-fashioned  and  behind  the  times,  beside  this  craft.  This 
is  the  nineteenth  century,"  observed  Uncle  Nat. 

Just  then  the  City  of  Tokio  blew  her  whistle  and  she  seemed  to 
shriek,  "Yes,  I'm  the  nineteenth  century  and  I'll  beat  and  cross  the 
Pacific,  see  if  I  don't."  She  said  this  in  one  long  breath,  gasped  and 
said  no  more. 

"  There  is  the  Golden  Gate !  "  exclaimed  Uncle  Nat.  "  What  a 
pretty  sight ! " 

Between  two  ridges  of  land  stretched  the  waters  of  the  Golden 
Gate,  and  outside  was  the  broad  and  shining  sea. 

"  This  is  the  entrance  to  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  boys ;  and  there 
is  the  Pacific  we  must  cross.  Can't  you  say  the  lines  you  repeated 
at   the  hotel   the   other   night?" 

Ralph  was  proud  of  his  accurate  memory,  and  he  recited  the  lines 
he  had  recently   seen   among  Bret   Harte's   poems ; 

"  Serene,  indifferent  of  Fate 
Thou  sittest  at  the  Western  Gate. 

Upon  thy  heights  so  lately  won, 
Still  slant  the  banners  of  the  sun. 

Thou  seest  the  white  seas  strike  their  tents, 
O  warder  of  two  continents  ? 

And  scornful  of  the  peace  that  flies 
Thy  angry  winds  and  sullen  skies. 

Thou  drawest  all  things  small  or  great, 
To  thee,  beside  the  Western  Gate." 

The  boys  were  so  much  interested  in  their  new  surroundings  that 


AT  SEA. 


57 


they  were  sorry  to  see  the  sun  sinking  toward  the  western  rim  of  the  sea. 

''  I    would 
Uke,"     said 
Ralph,     "to 
have  that  sun 
catch  on  some 
peg    in    the 
clouds,    and 
hold       on 
awhile.     Oh, 
Uncle      Nat, 
didn't     you 
once  say  you 
saw  the    sun 
keep  up  above 


the    sea    and     g 

z 

not  go  down     ^ 

>-) 

at  night  ?  "  | 
"  Yes,  and  ^ 
it  was  so 
strange  to 
have  the 
watch  say 
eight,  nine, 
ten,  eleven, 
twelve  o'clock 
at  night,  and 
still  see  the 
sun  shining, 
shining  in  the  west.    It  was  Worth  the  journey  I  took  in  a  high  northern  lat- 


58  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

itude  to  accomplish  the  feat.  In  any  Arctic  country,  it  must  be  strange 
to  a  person  from  the  Southern  land  to  see  the  sun  day  after  day  wheel 
round  the  heavens.  In  Greenland,  the  sun  is  always  above  the  horizon 
in  June  and  July,  and  then  there  are  days  where  his  absence  is  only 
long  enough  to  give  him  a  little  dip  below  the  horizon  and  up  he  comes 
again.  While  it  is  summer  in  Greenland,  and  that  season  exceeds  four 
months  only  in  few  places,  vegetation  makes  great  advances." 

When  night  came,  they  were  out  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Pacific. 
The  big  steamer  steadily  made  its  way  over  the  lonely,  darkening  waters. 
The  stars  brought  forward  their  tapers  one  by  one  and  lighted  up  the 
windows  of  the  sky.  The  wind  came  in  chilly  breaths.  The  dull, 
heavy  swash  of  the  waters  about  the. vessel  could  be  heard.  Our  three 
pilgrims  were  fairly  afloat,  going  west  as  Uncle  Nat  said,  to  find  the 
east;  moving  toward  the  sunset  to  search  out  the  sunrise  lands. 

The  boys  saw  the  moon  rise  above  the  water. 

"  Uncle  Nat,"  asked  Rick,  "  why  are  there  so  many  moons,  a  family 
of  moons  with  different  faces,  and  not  one  thing  Iqoking  the  same  all 
the  time  ? " 

"  Come  into  my  state-room." 

In  the  state-room.  Uncle  Nat  took  a  book  out  of  his  trunk  and 
showed  the  boys  a  picture  of  the  sun,  the  earth,  and  also  the  moon  at 
different  points  in  its  journey  about  the  earth. 

"  There  in  that  outside  circle  is  the  moon  as  it  appears  to  the  sun, 
now  showing  a  bright  surface.  But  in  the  inner  circle  is  the  moon 
at  different  points  as  it  appears  to  the  earth.  Take  when  the  moon  is 
between  the  earth  and  the  sun,  and  we  have  the  moon's  dark  side 
turned  toward  us,  or  we  get  no  moon  at  all.  But  a  little  farther 
along,  we  catch  a  bit  of  the  moon's  bright  side  like  a  crescent,  and  far- 
ther along  —  " 

" Oh,  I  see !  "  shouted   Rick,     "it   is   easy   enough   now,  after  you 


AT  SEA. 


59 


know.     And  when  the  moon  is   round  on  the  side  opposite  where  you 
started,  we  get  the  whole  of  the  bright  side,  or  it  is  full  moon.     Goodie, 

goodie !  " 

"You  have  got 
it  now,  Rick," 
said  Uncle  Nat, 
smiling  at  his 
nephew's  enthu- 
siasm. 

"Ralph,  do  you 
understand  ?  " 

Ralph  nodded 
his  head  but 
looked  glum  ;  "  I 
—  I  —  don't  feel 
right  —  here," 
and  he  laid  his 
hand  on  his 
stomach. 

"  Ah,  it  is  com- 
ing on,  I  see. 
Well,  I  will  put 
you  right  to  bed, 
and  fix  you  all 
nice." 

The     mysteri- 
ous    "  it "    soon 
made    Rick    put 
his  hand  to  his  stomach,  and  Uncle  Nat  had  his  hands  full  for  a  time. 


CHAPTER    V 


DISCOVERIES. 


"pEOPLE  on  board  a 
-*-  steamer  easily  be- 
come acquainted,  and 
Ralph  and  Rick  were 
disposed  to  know 
everybody.  Recover- 
ing from  their  "  touch 
of  seasickness/'  as  Un- 
cle Nat  termed  it  ("a 
touch  heavy  enough 
to  knock  a  feller  over,"  Rick  thought)  they  were  continually  mak- 
ing exploring  expeditions.  They  would  take  a  peep  at  the  engineer,  then 
look  at  the  furnaces,  then  at  the  cook's  quarters,  finally  mounting  to 
the  saloon.  After  a  while,  back  they  would  go,  nodding  once  more 
at  the  engineer,  and  then  fetching  up  near  the  furnaces.  The  third 
afternoon  out,  Ralph  had  circumnavigated  the  steamer  several  times, 
and  finally  stopped  to  watch  the  furnaces.  Only  one  person  seemed 
to  be  at  work  there,  and  he  was  shoveling  up  the  big  lumps  of 
coal  preparatory  to  a  feeding  of  the  red,  angry  furnace-mouths. 
The  shoveling  ceased,  and  now  from  a  dusty  comer,  Ralph  heard  a 
series  of  noises,  a  rat  squealing,  a  cat  mewing  as  if  hungry  for  the  rat, 
and  then  a  dog  growling  as  if  hungry  for  cat  and  rat  both .  At  the 
same   time,  what   did    he    see?     A    lump    of    coal     that    had    flashing 


DISCOVERIES.  6 1 

eyes,  open  mouth  and  white  teeth?  There  were  several  appearances 
and  disappearances  of  this  kind,  and  Ralph  thought  that  it  went 
ahead  of  any  "  magic  exhibition "  that  the  Rogers  brothers  had 
ever  given  in  the  old  barn  at  Concord.  "  It  is  gone  !  "  said  Ralph. 
"  No,  there  it  is ! "  Again,  he  saw  the  face,  and  heard  a  lion 
roaring  as  if  in  full  pursuit  of  dog,  cat  and  rat.  Ralph  had  seen  and 
heard  enough  in  this  magic-haunted  spot  and  turned  to  leave  it,  when 
a   familiar   and    pleasant    voice    said,    ''  Chile,    don't  you  know  me  ?  " 

"Siah!"    exclaimed   Ralph.     "It's    Siah !     It's    Siah ! "  he    shouted. 

It  was  indeed  the  rollicking,  laughing  Siah  who  came  out  of  the 
shadows  in  the  corner,  at  the  same  time  that  he  took  down  his  coal-shovel 
screening  his  face.  He  came  forward  with  a  funny  air  of  self-importance 
as  if  he  were    the   ruler   of   Soudan  showing  himself  to  his  subjects. 

"Don't   you    see    it    is   your   ole    frien',    Siah?" 

"Yes,  but   how    did   jou   get   here?"    asked   Ralph. 

"  Well.  T  couldn't  get  here  without  doin'  some  walkin',  sartin 
sure.  So  much  to  begin  wid.  You  see  after  you  left  it  was  awful 
lonesome  roun'  de  place,  an'  I  jes'  axed  Massa  Peters  ef  he  couldn' 
spare  me.  An'  he  said,  he  hated  to  hab  me  fur  to  go,  but  ef  I 
couldn'    be    contented,    I    might    go.     So    I    trabeled    on  — " 

"  Not   all    the    way    on    foot  ? " 

Yes,  the   ardent    Siah    had   footed   it    to    San   Francisco. 

"I  felt  like  takin'  a  sea-viyage  wid  my  frien's,  I  tole  de  boss 
—  dat's  Massa  Peters  —  an'  trab'lin'  here,  I  foun'  out  de  steamer 
dat  was  gwine,  an'  I  knew  from  what  you  said  which  one  it  was, 
an'  I  jes'  hired  out  as  one  ob  de  ban's.  You  know  I  want  fur 
to  see  de  worl',  an'  ef  I  do  I  must  begin  early.  Den  it  gibs  me 
a   chance   to    see   you   and   your   libely    bruder." 

And  so  Siah  was  following  his  friends  to  Japan.  What  he 
would   do   when    arriving   there,    he    had   not    considered. 


62  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Dat  question,"  he  told  Ralph,  "  am  too  many  days  off.  I  might 
be  dead  'fore  den,  an'  de  question  not  hab  any  importance.  So  I 
won't   raise   de    question   till   I   get   dar." 

"It's   Siah!     Siah !     It's   Si  — ah,  Rick!"   shouted   Ralph. 

A  hurried  sound  of  feet  was  heard  in  a  moment,  and  two  men 
came   rushing   up. 

"  Where,  where  ?  "   they    asked. 

"Where   is   what?"    said   Ralph. 

"Fi  — re?     Quick!" 

"Oh  it's  Si  — ah,  I  said." 

"  Nonsense !  The  next  time  you  holler,  take  your  dinner  out  of 
your   mouth,"   and   the   men   retreated   in    disgust. 

"Ef  he  had  some  dinner  in  his  mouth,  he'd  be  more  pleasant. 
Guess  he's   hungry,"    said   Siah. 

Rick  now  appeared,  and  together  he  and  Ralph  rejoiced  over  their 
treasure   found   once    more. 

"  Uncle  Nat,"  said  Ralph,  ^^  Siah  told  me  a  lot  about  the  fire- 
room  and   the   fires   there,  and   it   was   real    interesting." 

"Did  he  tell  you  anything  so  interesting  as  the  kindling  of  fires 
when   you   have   nothing   to   light  them   with  ? " 

"  Nothing  to  light  them  with.  Uncle  !  "  exclaimed  Rick.  "  That 
is   not   very  likely." 

"The  savages  do  it  though.  Capt.  Cook  found  a  drilling  process 
common  among  the  Australians,  where  they  took  a  stick  of  dry, 
soft  wood,  and  setting  it  on .  another  piece,  twirled  it  between  their 
hands,  the  friction  producing  fire  in  less  than  two  minutes.  The 
Sandwich  Island  method  is  the  same  in  principle,  and  also  that 
among  the  Gauchos  of  Buenos  Ayres,  though  the  last  place  one 
end  of  the  rubbing-stick  against  the  breast  as  a  carpenter  would 
his    bit.        The  Esquimaux,   an    old  navigator  said,   pointed    his  stick 


Drilling  Process. 


Swiss  pump-drill. 


Esquimaux  Method. 


Iroquois  Method. 


Method  in  use  among  the  Gauchos  of 
Buenos  Ayres. 


Sandwich  Island  Method.     Blunt  stick 
run  back  and  forth  in  groove. 

FUNNY    WAYS   OF    MAKING    A    FIRE. 


63 


DISCOVERIES.  6s 

with  stone,  and  twirled  by  means  of  a  strip  of  leather,  in  this 
way  boring  into  stone  even.  In  Switzerland,  an  apparatus  has  been 
used  called  the  'Pump-drill,'  the  hand  bringing  a  cross-piece  down 
that  unwinds  a  cord  and  sends  the  spindle  round.  When  the  hand 
is  lifted,  the  cord  is  rewound  and  so  on.  The  Iroquois  used  a  sim- 
ilar  instrument." 

When  Siah  was  told  of  this,  he  said,  "  Smart  folks  in  dis  world, 
honey." 

It  was  Rick's  turn  to  make  a  discovery  the  next  day.  He  had 
strayed  among  the  Chinese  passengers  on  board,  and  some  of  these 
were  moving  a  quantity  of  heavy  freight  in  that  part  of  the 
steamer. 

"  A  — hoo  —  hoo !  "  shouted  a  celestial  to  Rick  who  was  un- 
pleasantly near  a  rolling  barrel.  Rick  did  not  hear.  His  mouth 
open,  a  smile  sweeping  over  his  face  and  wrinkling  it,  he  stood 
watching  one  of  the  Chinese  who  was  tickling  the  ear  of  a  sleeping 
country-man  with  a  chip.  The  barrel  was  quite  near  the  unconscious 
Rick  when  a  Chinaman  rushed  forward  and  seizing  him  drew  him 
aside.  Then  Rick's  friend  stood  grinning  and  bowing  as  if  an  old 
acquaintance. 

"Why,  Joe  Pigtail!"    said  Rick.     "You   here?" 

"Me— ^ee  here,"  answered  Joe.  "You  go  —  ee  over  to  my 
coun  —  tree  ?  " 

"  No,    I   am    going   to    Japan." 

"  Me  see  you." 

"  Yes,  I   hope   so,    and    I    will    tell   my   brother   and   Uncle    Nat." 

Siah  and  Joe  Pigtail  on  board !  How  the  attractions  of  steamship- 
life  were  multiplying !  Now  if  they  could  make  the  acquaintance  of 
a  sailor  and  get  him  to  "  spin  some  yarns,"  happiness  for  the  Rogers 
brothers  would  be  complete.     But  where  could  they  find  "  him  ?  "      They 


66  ALL  AJWAKD  FOR  SLNRJSE  LANDS. 

investigated  the  merits  of  several  candidates.  One  though  was  pro- 
nounced "  dirty."  A  second  had  a  "  squeaky  voice,"  an  infirmity  not 
generally  favorable  to  yarn-telling.  "  Grosser  than  pison,"  was  the 
comment  on  a  third.  The  fifth  day  out,  Rick  said  mysteriously  to  Ralph. 
"  I  have  found  him ;  Come  !  "  Rick  led  Ralph  away  and  pointed  out  a 
grizzled  oiu  tar  who  was  coiling  up  a  rope,  his  back  turned  to  the  boys. 

"  Ain't  he  chuncky  ?  "  whispered  Rick. 

Suddenly,  the  "  chuncky  "  sailor  turned.  He  had  a  big  head,  or  as 
Ralph  told  Rick,  "  lie  spread  a  good  deal  of  sail  in  his  face."  The 
lower  part  of  his  face  was  fringed  with  a  gray  beard,  and  he  carried  at 
the  neck  a  black  kerchief,  with  immense  ends.  Under  the  heavy^  eye- 
brows of  gray,  there  were  two  kindly  lights  that  twinkled.  *'  Blue 
lights,"  Ralph  called  them,  "  like  those  that  a  feller  in  trouble  on  the 
water  at  night  would  be  glad  to  see.     Something  like  a  lighthouse." 

"  Hullo,  boson  !  "  the  sailor  sang  out  to  Rick.     "  You  here  again  ?  " 

This  title,  "  boson,"  tickled  Rick. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  and  here's  my  brother  Ralph." 

Ralph  held  out  his  hand  ;  "  How  do  you  do,  Mr. "  he  hesitated, 

not  knowing  what  to  call  this  big  lump  of  salt  pork. 

"  Bobstay !  Jack  Bobstay,  that's  my  name  for  young  folks,  and  Jack 
is  glad  to  see  you." 

"  And  what  is  it  for  old  folks  ?"  asked  Rick. 

"  Ah,  no  matter  about  them.  In  this  case  they  are  not  to  be  taken 
into  account.  What  my  name  may  be,  don't  make  the  difference  of  a 
button  on  a  mermaid's  best  go-to-meeting  gown.  Jack  Bobstay  at  your 
service ! " 

Here  the  old  sailor  made  a-  low  bow. 

Ralph  and  Rick  were  delighted  with  Jack  Bobstay,  and  they  eagerly 
introduced  him  to  Uncle  Nat,  Siah  and  Joe  Pigtail.  The  Rogers  brothers 
felt  that  their  circle  of  acquaintance  was  widening. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


IJGIITHOUSES. 


B" 


OYS,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  after 
supper  one  evening,  "  if  you 
will  come  into  my  state-room  at 
once,  I  will  show  you  some  pict- 
ures of  lighthouses,  and  tell  you 
all  I  know  upon  thd  subject." 

The  invitation  was  accepted 
eagerly,  and  there  were  two  pair 
of  bright,  searching  eyes  turned 
toward  the  pictures  that  Uncle 
Nat  pointed  out. 

"  In  the  first  place,  where  rocks 
or  shoal  water  may  be,  we  have 
beacons  or  buoys  if  they  will  an- 
swer. We  make  beacons  of  stone 
and  then  again  of  wood  or  iron. 
A  very  common  kind  of  bouy  is 
simply  a  spar  anchored  at  one  end,  and  that  we  call  a  spar-buoy.  Buoys 
may  be  of  iron,  and  in  that  case  are  made  hollow  and  will  float.  I  know 
of  dangerous  rocks  off  Boston  Harbor  called  the  Graves,  and  a  horn-buoy 
has  been  put  there.  The  sea,  when  uneasy  and  moving,  forces  the  air 
into  this  horn,  and  what  a  solemn  groan  it  has !  Then  a  bell-boat  may 
be  used,  and  the  motion  of  the  waves  will  keep  the  bell  dismally  sound- 

67 


A   BELL    BOAT. 


68  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRfSE  LANDS. 

ing.     We  must  have  soniething  in    such  places,  for  the  risks  are  great 
and  a  wreck  is  an  ugly  sight  for  the  sailor. 


FIRST  CLASS   LIGHTSHIP   WITH   STEAM    KOr,    WHISTLE. 

"Sometimes  a  lightship  is  used  as  in  this  picture.  Such  a  vessel  must 
be  strongly  built,  one  too  that  will  swing  easily  at  anchor,  and  be  in 
readiness  to  meet  any  emergencies  arising  from  her  perilous  position. 
You  can  see  the  chain-cable  that  moors  this  one,  and  she  has  a  steam 
fog-whistle  with  which  she  keeps  piping  away  in  the  mist.  The  light 
she  shows  at  night  is  carried  at  the  mast-head.  You  notice  the  uneasy 
throw  of  the  waters  around  hpr,  showing  that  shoal  sea  is  close  at  hand. 
Off  in  the  distance  is  a  steamer,  and  a  sailor  with  a  spy  glass  is  trying 
to  make  her  out.  Now  we  come  to  the  lighthouse,  and  this  picture  is 
one  on  Mt.  Desert.     It    is  of   the    ordinary  kind,  a    tower  built  on    a 


LIGHTHOUSES. 


7' 


good  strong  foundation,  and  it  is  doing  excellent  service  with  its 
warning  beams.  Near  by,  tossing  in  the  angry  waters,  is  a  fragment 
of  a  mast,  and  the  moonlight  shows  a  vessel  away  off,  that  looks  as 
if  in  a  ticklish  position.  A  structure  Hke  this  is  common,  but  here 
is  one  that  is  simply  a  house  on  a  solid  base  of  stone-work,  and  in 
the  cupola  of  the  house  is  the  lantern.  It  is  a  Long  Island  Sound 
light.     Rather  a  lonesome  liome  that  would  be  for  you,  boys. 


FOURTH  ORDER   LIGHTHOUSE,  AT  PENFIELD  L.   1.   SOUND. 


"  A  modern  style  of  lighthouse  is  one  resting  on  iron  piles  strength- 
ened by  braces.  This  is  a  picture  of  the  lighthouse  at  Thimble 
Shoal,    Hampton     Roads,    Va.       On    one    side,    there    is    a  ladder   de- 


72 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


scending  to  the  sea,  and  on  the  other,  they  hoist  and  lower  their 
boats.  In  Boston  Harbor  is  a  light  that  makes  you  think  of  this, 
called  Bug  Light.  At  a  distance,  you  fancy  it  is  a  beetle  crawling 
over  the  water  toward  you.  I  can  testify  that  this  beetle  has  bright 
eyes   on   dark  nights. 

"The   modern   style  —  many-legged    or   centipede   style  as  I  call  it, 


LIGHTHOUSE  AT   "tHE  THIMBLE  SHOAL,"   HAMPTON   ROADS,   VA. 

will  do  unless  the  sweep  of  the  water  is  like  that  at  Minot's  Ledge, 
near  Boston,  and  then  they  had  better  substitute  something  else. 
Minot's  Ledge  is  a  few  miles  from  tlie  entrance  of  Boston  Harbor, 
an    ugly  stretch    of   ledge  out    into    the   sea.       It    is   a   bad    place    in 


LIGHTHOUSES. 


73 


a   gale,  and     the    waves 
thrust  up    their    ragged 
white  arms  as  if  to  tear 
the      lighthouse      down. 
When    I    was   a   boy,    a 
structure  was  put  up  that 
rested  on  piles  of  u'on,  and 
it  did  very  well  for  a  time 
but  a  fearful  storm  came 
up     that    raged   terribly 
along  the  New  England 
coast.  I  remember  I  went 
from    school,    my   green 
satchel  in  my  hand,  down 
to    the   old   wharves    at 
home   to   see   the    great 
tide    in  that  storm.        I 
never     saw     such     tides 
there,  before   nor    since. 
I  remember  they  rose  up 
and    swept     clear     over 
wharves  supposed   to  be 
high  enough  out  of  water 
always.     In  that  storm, 
the  fancy  piece  of   pipe- 
stem   on    Minot's    Ledge 
went  over,  the  iron  piles 
snapping    like    dry  pine 
twigs.     The  waves  were 
so  strong  that  they  rolled 


A    MODERN    STYLE   OF   LIOHTHOrSE. 


74  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

ashore  stone  weighing  one  or  two  tons.  The  keepers,  poor  fellows, 
went  with  the  wreck.  When  Minot's  Ledge  was  occupied  again,  they 
gave  up  the  pipe-stem  style  and  built  of  stonCv  tier  upon  tier,  solid 
and  true.  As  you  can  only  work  upon  the  ledge  at  a  certain  stage 
of  the  tide,  it  took  several  seasons  to  prepare  the  foundation  and  lay 
a  few  courses  of  granite.  But  it  was  finished  at  last,  and  a  splendid 
pile  of  granite  it  is." 

"  Uncle,  what  is  it  they  light  up  the  lantern  with  ? " 
"  Do  you  mean,  Rick,  how  they  do  it  ?  Let  me  go  back  some  way. 
There  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Garonne  in  France,  a  lighthouse 
nigh  three  hundred  years  old,  and  it  is  a  fine  structure.  For  a  light, 
at  first  they  burnt  pieces  of  oak  in  a  chauffer  or  small  furnace.  That 
was  a  common  mode,  and  long  practised.  It  seemed  a  wonderful  ad- 
vance, when  over  this  little  bonfire  up  in  the  lighthouse  tower,  a 
rough  reflector  in  the  shape  of  an  inverted  cone  was  suspended  and 
prevented  the  upward  passage  of  the  light.  In  1760,  Smeaton,  the 
famous  engineer  of  the  Eddy  stone  lighthouse,  used  wax  candles. 
In  1789,  in  tha  old  Garonne  lighthousa,  a  Frenchman,  Lsnoir,  put 
mirrors  or  reflectors  near  Argand  lamps  introduced  into  the  lantern. 
The  Argand  lamp  has  a  circular  wick  and  chimney.  By-and-by, 
in  the  present  century,  came  Fresnel  who  made  extensive  improve- 
ments, introducing  what  is  called  the  lens  principle.  A  lens  is  any 
substance  that  will  let  the  light  through  and  refract  or  bend  it. 
For  instance,  when  a  piece  of  glass  is  convex  as  we  say,  or  when 
it  bulges  out,  that  will  so  bend  the  image  of  an  object  as  to  enlarge 
it.  In  telescopes  and  microscopes,  we  take  advantage  of  this  mag- 
nifying principle,  and  the  big  lens  in  the  lighthouse  tower  is  so 
constructed  that  the  light  of  a  lamp  comparatively  small  is  mag- 
nified into  the  shining  of  a  mammoth  ball  of  fire,  till  it  seems 
like    a    new-risen    sun    above   the   dark   surface  of   the  sea.       T    have 


LIGHTHOUSES. 


75 


gone  by  Minot's  Light  in  the   night,   and  how  thankful  I  have  been 
for   that    big   torch    away   out   in   the   dangerous   sea." 

"  What  a  lot  Uncle  Nat  knows !"  said  Rick  to  Ralph  when  they 
were  by  themselves.  "  Yes,  said  Ralph  with  a  wise  air,  "  and  I  will 
tell  you  how  it  happened.  Mother  says  when  Uncle  Nat  went  to  sea, 
he  would  spend  his  leisure  time  reading.  That  is  the  way  boys  ought 
to  do,"  he  added,  exercising  an  older  brother's  privilege  and  annexing  a 
suggestion  intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  careless  and  ignorant  youth, 
Rick.     -'Tluit  is  the  way  to  rise  in  this  world." 


HOW    UNCLE    NAT   SPENT    HIS   LEISURE   HOURS. 


CHAPTER    YII 


JACK    BOBSTAY    SPINNING    YARNS. 


T  TOW   would    you    like    to   have 
-■-  -*■   me  unwind  a  skein  of   yarn?" 
asked   Jack  Bobstay    one   day,    his 
"blue  lights"  twinkling. 
"  A  story  ?  "  replied  Ralph. 
Jack  nodded    his    head. 
"  0  just  let  nie  get  Rick  and  see 
if  Siah    can't    come    too,"    pleaded 
Ralph. 

WALRUS.  There  was  an  abundance  of  help 

in     the     care    of    the   furnaces,    and     Siah    was    granted   a    brief   fur- 
lough.    Rick   was    always    ready   for   any   promising   digression. 

In  a  short  time  Ralph  and  Rick  were  curled  up  inside  a  big 
coil  of  rope,  making  two  round  lumps,  like  two  pumpkins  in  a 
basket. 

On  one  side  of  this  coil,  squat  upon  the  deck,  was  Siah,  and  on 
the   right   was   Jack    Bobstay. 

Jack  began :  "I  have  followed  the  sea  more  than  these  thirty 
years,  but  the  toughest  weather  that  I  ever  saw  was  on  a  whalin' 
voyage." 

"You  been  to  the  North  Pole?"  asked  Ralph. 

"Pretty  well  up,  my  boy,  but  not  jest    to    the   peakit    end    of    it." 

replied  Jack. 

76 


A    VKSSEI.   TURNINO    INTO    AN    ICICLE 


77 


JACK  BOB  STAY  SPINNING   YARN.  79 

"Did  you  ever  see  a  Greenlander ? "  asked  Rick. 

"  0  yes,  I  have  seen  'em  shooting  seals  and  sea  lions  'round  among 
blocks  of  ice." 

"Did   you  use  to  go  a-whalin'  much?"    askad    Siah. 

"  Wlialin'  ?  I  have  seen  more  whales  than  you  ever  dreamed  of, 
boy,"  said   Jack  with    an   expression    almost    like    contempt. 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  eber  dreamed  ob  any,"  said  Siah  m  a  subdued 
way. 

"  You  have  forgotten  your  dreams,  maybe ; "  replied  Joe,  dis- 
posing of   dreams    and    dreamers   with    a   wave    of   his    hand. 

"  How   far   north   did   you   ever   go  ? "    asked   Rick.  "  Did    you 

say  you  got   on    top  of   the    North  Pole?" 

Joe  disliked  to  own  that  he  had  not  achieved  anything  possible  or 
impossible.  He  now  merely  said  that  he  must  have  gone  "pretty 
near  it,"  for  he  remarked  with  impressive  dignity,  "  I  went  chuck  into 
the  jaws  of  the  ice  and  snow.  I  have  been  in  one  or  two  explorin' 
expeditions." 

"  You   have  ? "    said   Rick   in   tones   of   positive   admiration. 

"  Sartin !  "  declared  Joe  with  great  dignity,  thoroughly  aware  of 
the  important  place  he  occupied  in  their  regard.  "  It  is  a  tough 
position  to  be  in ;  sometimes  awful  skittish !  You  see  it  is  pretty 
uncomfortable  to  be  sailin'  in  a  vessel  where  masts,  rigging,  shrouds 
and  sails  may  be  covered  with  ice.  The  spray  freezes  as  it  falls,  and  a 
vessel  looks  at  last  as  if  she  was  turnin'  into  a  big  icicle.  I  was  in  one 
ship  that  went  after  Sir  John  Franklin." 

"  What,  the  man  that  never  came  back  ? "  inquired  Ralph. 

"  Yes,  in  one  of  them  ships,  for  though  not  so  thick  as  sandpeeps  on 
a  summer  beach,  still  there  were  more  than  one  of  'em,  upward  of 
twenty  going  in  eleven  years.  You  know  Sir  John  Franklin  went  off  in 
1845,  with  two  vessels,  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  to  find  that  humbug- 


8o 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


place,  a  nor' west  passage.  He  expected  to  be  back  in  1847,  but  he  was 
never  seen  after  July,  1845.  Well,  they  hunted  and  found  traces  of 
Franklin's  party  on  King  William's  Land.  The  Esquimaux  had  seen 
some  of  'em,  but  what  the  savages  had  to  tell,  only  proved  that  Franklin's 
party  was  at  last  swept  away  by  death.  I  was  in  one  of  the  expeditions 
that  hunted  for  Sir  John.  You  see  his  wife.  Lady  Jane,  could  not  give 
him  up,  and  when  it  was  useless  to  think  he  could  be  found  alive,  then 
she  spent  her  money  trying  to  get  some  information  of  his  fate 
and  recover  his  body.  When  I  went,  I  thought  I  might  never 
come  back  myself,  and  then  what  Lady  Jane  would  have  hunted  for 
poor  Jack.Bobstay  ?  At  one  time,  our  cap'n  concluded  to  send  some  of 
his  men  ahead  to  see  what  the  prospect  was.  We  had  two  boats,  and 
contrived  to  get  ahead  some  way,  when  we  were  caught  in  the  sudden 
closing  of  the  ice.  There  we  were  a  number  of  miles  from  the  ship,  in 
two  open  boats,  with  few  provisions  beside  our  water-kegs.  We  drew 
our  boats  up  on  the  ice  and  waited  for  the  next  thing,  and  that  was  the 

dark.     Luckily,   we 


sieepmg 


A   SLEEPING-BA(; 


had   some 
bags." 

"What      are 
those?"  asked  Rick. 
"  Just  what  I  say, 

bags,  to  sleep  in.  There  is  a  chance  for  you  to  get  into  them  — 
and  they  are  made  nice  and  warm — and  when  inside,  you  button 
yourself  in. 

"  We  went  to  sleep,  and  as  things  were  no  better,  the  next  day  we 
concluded  to  abandon  one  boat  and  drag  the  other  over  the  ice  to  open 
water,  if  we  could  find  it.  We  began  to  strip  one  boat,  and  I  re- 
member it  fell  to  me  to  roll  along  the  water-keg.  Tom  Savin  took 
the    sleeping-bags.      Another   man  took   the   oars,    and    so   on.     Then 


JACK  JWB STAY  SPINNING    YARN.  8i 

we  fell  to  and  helped  work,  along  the  other  boat.  It  was  no  easy 
job,  but  we  managed  to  worry  her  along,  now  and  then  findin'  a 
leetle    water   that    would    help    us,    and    finally    we    struck    a   channel 


that  led  us  d(jwn  to  the  neighborhood  of  tlie  ship.  It  was  good 
to  set  foot  on  her  deck  (jnce  more,  but  we  were  not  out  of  all 
trouble  yet.  We  soon  fell*  into  bad  company,  that  is,  got  among  a 
lot     of    icebergs     and     drift  in'    floes    of     ice.  Them    icebergs   were 

glorious,  on  both  sides  of  you,  boys,  rising  up  like  mountains  and 
towers,  and  meetin'-houses !  That  was  one  way  to  look  at  them 
things  and  the  other  was,  what  if  their  cold,  white  jaws  should 
close  on  you  and  nip  you  up  for  good  ?  We  got  out  two  boats — and 
we  were  '  mazin'  spry,  I  tell  you  —  and  riggin'  up  a  tow-line,  rowed 
our  craft  out  of  danger.  We  all  took  a  long  breath  when  we  had 
cleared    that    spot." 


82 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRJSE  LAADS. 


Jack's  breath- 
less auditors  now 
indulged  in  the 
^^     same  luxury. 

"Did  you 
make  any  ac- 
quaintances up 
there?"  asked 
Rick  wh  o  s  e 
social  nature 
"'al)!!  orred  a 
vacuum  "  like  a 
desert   place. 

"Any       ac- 

is  not  a  very 
social  place  u]) 
there,  and  you 
couldn't  reason- 
ably expect  to 
find  large  settled 
towns  up  in  the 
snow  and  ice, 
and  have  people 
row  out  to  you  in 
the  stream  and 
ask  you  ashore  to 
take  dinner,  and   then    pass   the  night,"  answered  Jack  with  a  laugh. 

"  But    some  folks  must  be  there,"    persisted  Rick. 

"  Must  be  some  Skim-mer-hose,"  observed  Siah  learnedly. 


ICKBERGS   ON    EVERY   SIDK. 


JACK  BOB  STAY  SPINNING   YARN 


83 


"Esquimaux?  0  }ou  see  them  now  and  then,  but  scatterin'-like 
you  know.  You  may  be  sailin'  along  and  you'll  see  'em  paddlin' 
about  in  their  boats.  They  are  master-hands  for  a  boat,  or  kayaks 
as  they  call  'em.  A  kayak  is  intended  to  carry  only  one  person, 
and  is  sixteen  feet  long  say,  not  over  a  foot  deep,  sometimes  but 
nine    inches,    and   in    the    middle    it    may  measure  eighteen   inches  or 


two   foot   across.     The   frame   of   one   that   I  saw  was   made  of  light 
wood   and   was   entirely   covered  with   tanned   sealskin." 


84  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

'•  Cubbered  all  ober?"  asked  Siah.  '■' Whar  do  der  Skim-mer-hose 
get   in  ? " 

"In  the  centre  is  a  hoop  of  bone  that  is  big  enough  to  let  a 
man's  body  through,  and  the  proprietor  sits  there.  In  the  boat  1 
inspected,  he  seemed  to  be  laced  in,  the  lower  edge  of  his  jacket 
beino-  laced  to  the  rim  of  the  hole.  Then  the  water  is  kept  out. 
The  feller  had  one  oar  about  six  feet  long,  broad  like  the  blade 
of  a  paddle  at  each  end,  and  how  they  managed  that  ticklish  boat 
without  a  keel  you  see,  I  couldn't  understand,  but  manage  they 
did.  They  would  go  shootin'  over  the  waters,  when  the  spray  was 
fly  in'    and  the   sea    rough." 

"  But  that  is  not  the  only  kind  of  boat  they  have  there,"  observed 
Ralph.     "  So  I  have  read." 

"  Not  the  only  one  ?  Of  course  not,"  promptly  replied  Jack  who 
did  not  mean  to  be  found  napping  on  the  subject  of  Arctic  navigation. 
"  They  have  what  they  call  an  oomiak,  and  that  is  a  woman's  boat, 
sometimes  twenty-five  feet  long  and  a  third  as  broad.  It  will  carry 
■^;wenty  people  then.     Sometimes  they  have  a  sail  for  the  oomiak." 

"A  sail?"  inquired  Siah.     "Where  dey  git  de  clof?" 

"Inside  the  walrus,  boy.  The  walrus  is  one  of  their  factories  for 
furnishin'  cloth.  You  heard  me  say  they  covered  their  kayaks  with 
seal  skin,  and  now  the  walrus  is  another  factory.  I  think  the  Esquimaux 
are  excellent  boatmen,  but  I  don't  know  as  I  like  to  see  one  of  'em 
flyin'  along  over  the  water  in  a  kayak,  though  interestin',  any  better 
than  an  Indian  skimmin'  over  the  ground  on  snow-shoes,"  observed 
Jack  skilfully  changing  the  subject  and  temptingly  inviting  his  auditors 
to  the  consideration  of  another  subject. 

"  Snow  shoes !  "  cried  Rick,  his  eyes  steadily  enlarging.  "  Did  you 
ever  see  an  Indian  on  snow-shoes?" 

How  he  envied  Jack ! 


JACK  BOB  STAY  SPINNING    YARN.  85 

"■  Plenty  of  'em/'  remarked  Jack  with  the  air  of  one  used  to  these 
wonders  and  taking  them  as  a  matter  of  course.  "  One  winter  I  was 
up  in  Canada,  away  up,  spendin'  the  season  in  a  loggin'  camp,  and 
some  Indians  came  pretty  near  us.  They  were  out  huntin'  and  wore 
snow-shoes." 

"  I  saw  a  picture,"  said  Ralph  eagerly,  "  where  an  Indian  was'  on 
snow-shoes,  and  he  had  just  let  an  arrow  fly  at  his  game  and  had — had — " 

''Pegged  it;"  interposed  Jack.  "That  is  what  an  Indian  hunter 
is  quite  likely  to  ^do.     Snow-shoes  are  simple  things,  the   curve   being 


something  like  that  of  an  egg.  For  the  frame,  white  ash  makes  a  good 
wood,  and  then  strips  of  hide  make  a  firm  light  nettin'  on  which  to 
plant  the  foot.  The  foot  is  secured  to  the  shoe  at  the  toe,  leaving 
the  heel  free  to  play  up  and  down,  and  that  lets  the  snow-shoe  slide 
right  along  the  ground." 

Jack's    knowledge   of  the    snow-shoe  was   almost  exhausted   and  he 


86 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


was  endeavoring  to  call  up  another  subject  for  the  delight  of  his 
auditors,  when  the  wondering  and  almost  worshipping  Siah  spoke  up ; 
"•  I  'spose  you've  been  in  de  water  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  sartin !  We  sailors  don't  make  more  of  that  than 
you  land  folks  make  of  stepping  out  on  the  ground,"  replied  Jack  with 
an  almost  contemptuous  air.  "  But,"  he  prudently  added,  "  we  have 
our  preferences  about  the  quantity  of  water  we  take  and  x6hen  and  xi^liere 
we  get  into  it.  Once  I  was  jest  home  from  a  whalin'  trip,  and  as  I 
had  been  through  almost  everything,  I  naturally  felt  that  I  was 
equal  to  any  water-ventur'  at  home,  and  I  took  a  common  sail-boat 
intendin'  to  enjoy  a  little  trip   down  our  river,  and  then  out  to  sea  a 

mile  or  two,  and  so  home 
again.  I  got  along  very 
well  till  I  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  river  when 
one  of  the  worst  squalls 
I  ever  knew  blew  for 
about  twenty  minutes.  It 
blew  all  ways  at  once, 
nor-west,  sow-west,  nor- 
east,  sow-east,  so  it  seemed 
to  me,  and  the  sky  was 
black  as  the  bottom  side  of 
the  cook's  b'ilers.  Well,  I 
got  into  a  place,  a  bad 
place,  where  the  tide  and 
eddy  meet,  and  over  I  went ! 
There  I  was  spilled  over 
JACK  WHEN  SPILLED  OUT.  about  as  cntlrcly  as  a  man 

could    l)e.     Didn't    things   look    dark  ?     The    waves    broke    lively    over 


JACK  BOB  STAY  SPINNING   YARN.  87 

the  rocks  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  jest  above  the  water  was 
a  strip  of  white  hght  that  made  the  sea  and  sky  look  all  the  blacker. 
Well,  bare-headed,  I  paddled  round  till  I  was  tired,  and  the  squall 
too,  and  pilot-boat  comin'  along,  they  fished  me  up  and  took  me 
home." 

"  Did  —  did  you  let  tlie  sail  go  when  the  squall  —  squall  struck 
you — you?  That's  the  way  we  dp  on  Concord  River,"  said  Ralph 
eager   to    impart    information. 

•'  I  did  it  every  time,  every  time,  boy,  but  you  see  I  was  in  a  bad 
place  where  tide  and  eddy  meet.  People  joked  me  when  I  got  back, 
about  my  knowledge  of  the  sea,  but  I  told  'em  they  were  welcome  to 
the  laugh  as  long  as  I  had  saved  my  skin.  Things  though  did  not 
look  so  bad  as  when  I  was  in  the  Nancy  Dee." 

"  De    Nancy  Dee,  a  woman?"  inquired   Siah. 

••  A  love-scrape  ?  Massy,  boy,  I  hope  not.  Jack  Bobstay  has  not 
been  captured  yet.  A  ship,  a  ship,  I  mean,  and  a  wreck,  a  true  one, 
a  live  one." 

••0  tell    us   about   that?"    pleaded    Ralph. 

Jack's  ''blue-lights"  twinkled,  and  he  was  evidently  delighted  to 
unwind  one  more  yarn. 

The  boys  now  crept  closer  to  this  magnetic  son  of  the  sea  who 
l)egan   the  fascinating  tale  of  Jack  Bobstay  and    the   Nancy  Dee. 

••  We  were  nearin'  the  coast  of  England  when  a  fearful  storm 
struck  us.  It  howled  all  day  and  then  it  blew  all  night.  What 
ji  night  that  was,  black  and  roarin',  tossin'  and  ravin',  and  toward 
mornin',  we  struck !  What  it  was  tlien,  we  did  not  know.  As  it 
neared  toward  day-break,  we  could  make  out  somewhat  where  we 
were.  We  were  not  far  from  as  ugly  and  black  a  set  of  coast- 
rocks  as  I  ever  see,  and  we  knew  we  were  on  some  kind  of  a 
ledge.     I've    been    north,  south,  east,  west,  but  I  never  see  an  angrier 


88 


ALJ.  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


sea.  You  know  wlien  folks  are  mad,  they  sometimes  grow  white  in 
the  face,  and  that  is  the  way  it  was  with  that  sea,  wliite  in  its 
anger.  Nothin'  but  biUn'  foam  between  us  and  the  shore;,  a  kind 
of  immense  snow-drift  all  broken  up  into  feathery  flakes  and  flyin' 
toward  the  shore !  I  don't  know  but  what  the  light  we  did  liave 
came  more  from  that  big  batch  of  foam  than  from  the  day  itself, 
for  the  sky  in  the  east  was  black  as  if  in  mournin'.  We  were 
in  a  bad  fix.  We  had  been  cuttin'  away  the  mainmast  and  the 
mizzen  mast,  and  in  fallin'  they  took  away  part  of  the  foremast. 
We  looked  ragged  enough,  and  how  the  seas  did  sweep  that  deck ! 
What  was  to  be  done  ?  No  boat  could  live  a  minute  in  that  sea, 
and  what  headway  could  a  swimmer  make  ?  Now  when  I  was  in 
the  river,  that  time  I  told  you  about,  I  felt  toFabh'  easy  for  I 
could  keep  a-goin'  till  help  came,  but  in  this  sea  it  seemed  as  it 
tlie  billers  would  chop  a  feller  up  less  than  no  time.  All  at  once, 
something  bright  went  over  our  heads  I  It  was  a  rocket !  Guns ! 
we  couldn't  hear  it  whizz,  but  we  could  see  its  trail  and  that  was 
jest  as  comfortin',  and  it  went  like  a  comit  through  the  air!  I 
have  seen  fireworks,  but  never  did  I  see  any  that  did  me  so  much 
good.     That    rocket,  you  see,  came    from    some    people    on   the   shore, 

high  up  on  the  rocks,  and  at  last  we  could 
make  out  two  men.  Then  by-and-by.  there 
were  more.  Another  rocket  came,  and  this 
time  it  fetched  a  i-ope  that  fell  right  across 
our  ship.  We  knew  what  it  meant.  Finally 
there  came  a  life-basket.  This  is  suspended 
from  a  rope  that  goes  from  the  shij)  to  the 
shore,  and  slides  along  this  rope,  so  that  it  can 
i.uK-HASKET.  \^   ^\\^^  ^t,  tlie  shlp   aud    then    pulled    ashore. 

It  is  sometimes  very   difficult  to  reach  a  wreck  with   a    life-boat,  and 


JACK  BOB  STAY  SPINNING   YARN. 


9» 


a  life-basket  when  it  can  be  brought  into  play,  is  much  better.  As 
for  us,  you  may  be  sure  that  we  filled  our  basket  repeatedly,  and  in 
this  way  we  all  escaped  from  the  Nancy  Dee.  that  threatened  to 
become  a  good-sized 
coffin  for  us  all." 

The  audience  gave 
an  exclamation  of  re- 
lief at  the  release  of 
their  beloved  idol 
from  danger.  1 1 
would  have  been  a 
couQ-ratulatorv  shout 
if  he  had  revealed  the 
fact  that  he  was  the 
last  man  to  leave  the 
ship  and  take  his  turn 
at  a  basket-ride.  His 
modesty  might  have 
been  overcome,  had 
he  not  suddenly 
looked  off  upon  the 
ocean  and  then  toss- 
ing up  his  head,  ejac- 
ulated, "Whew! 
There  she  blows  !  " 

Saying  this,  he 
sprang   to   his   feet.     What  could  be  the  matter  ?     ''A  whale,  boys,  a 
whale  !  "      Off  in  the  distance,  they  saw  a  white  mass  rising  into  the  air. 

"  A  whale,  sartin  !      Don't   I   wish  I  was  nearer   and    had  a    good 
harpoon  in  my  hand  ?  " 


LIFE-BOAT. 


92 


ALL  ABOARD  J' OR  SUNRISE  LANDS, 


A    GRKKNLANn    WIIALK. 


a   complacent  grin.     "  Well, 

But  all  through  the 
steamer's  voyage,  that 
''  some  day "  did  not  ar- 
rive. Either  Jack  was 
busy,  or  Siali  was  needed 
at  the  furnaces,  or  Ralph 
and  Rick  could  not  come 
at    the     appointed    hour. 


They  went  no 
nearer  thougli, 
for  the  steamer 
went  on  its  way 
sending  up  a 
column  of  black 
|;  smoke,  and  the 
whale  as  if  in 
emulation  sent 
lip  a  jet  of  foam- 
ing water  and 
then  pushed  on 
his  way. 

"Oh,  xMr. 
Bobstay,  do  tell 
us  about 
whales?"  asked 
Ralph. 

"  Do  you  wish 
me  to  ?"  replied 
the  old  salt  with 
1   guess    1   will,  some  of  these  fine  days." 


HOW    MANY    WAVKS    IHERE    SKEMKU    lO    BE  I 


JACK  BOB  STAY  SPINNING   YARN 


95 


Meantime,  the  ocean  behind  them  was  growing  bigger  and  the 
ocean  before  them  was  growing  smaller.  The  steamer's  engines  cease- 
lessly panted  night  and  day.  The  great  hull  kept  rising  and  falling 
with  the  sea,  yet  ever  going  forward,  and  the  Land  of  the  Sunrise, 
so  long  a  dream,  promised  soon  to  become  a  fact  before  the  pilgrims' 
eyes.  "'  Every  wave  takes  us  nearer,"  said  Ralph ;  but  how  many 
waves    there    seemed   to    be ! 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


SUNRISE    LAND    AT    LAST. 


pATIENT- 
-■-      ly  did  the 


FUJISAN,    THE   HIGHEST   MOUNTAIN    IN   JAPAN. 


engine  of  the 
steamer  toil 
away,  and  every 
minute,  Rick 
and  Ralph 
were  coming 
nearer  to  the 
Sunrise  Land. 

"We  have 
been  out  so 
many  days  that 

we  have  gone  between  four  and  five  thousand  miles,  and  to-morrow  we 
ought  to  see  Yokohama,"  said  Jack  Bobstay. 

"And  all  this,  time,"  moaned  Ralph,  "I  have  not  seen  the  sun  rise." 

"  Haven't  you  ?      Come  on  deck  to-morrow  morning  early  and  see  it." 

That   evening,  Uncle    Nat  and    his   nephews   watched    the    sun   go 

down  into  the  sea.     They  saw  him  floating  a  moment  upon  the  water, 

and  then  graduajly  sinking  like  an   immense  coal  of  fire. 

"  There,  boys,  the  sun  looks  pretty  big,  but  if  we  could  stand  upon 
the  planet  Venus,  he  would  appear  larger  still." 
"Why?"  asked  Rick. 

94 


Sl/NJiJSJ^:  LAXDS  AT  LAST. 


95 


"Because  Venus  is  nearer  to  the  sun." 

"And  I  have   studied  at    school  that   from  Mercury    the   sun 
be     vastly    more 
huge." 

"  Yes,  Ralph, 
because  Mercury 
is  still  nearer  the 
sun,  and  so 
merged  in  the 
glory  of  the  sun, 
that  without  a 
telescope  it  is  no 
easy  thing  finding 

Mercury.         The 

great    astronomer 

Copernicus  never 

saw     Mercury, 

though  it  is  true 

he  had  no   teles- 
cope.    While  the 

sun  appears  so  big 

from  Mercury, 

from  the  farthest 

planets    he   must 

shrink  to  a  very 

humble  size." 
Uncle    Nat, 

when  in  his  state- 
room, showed  the  boys   the  accompanying  picture  of  the  different 

of  the  sun  when  viewed   from   different  planets. 


must 


sizes 


96  ALL  ABOARD   FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

Ralph  declared  that  "  the  sun,  big  as  a  ginger-snap  when  seen  from 
Mercury,  was  only  a  pin-head  from  Neptune." 

Ralph  was  out  of  his  b^d  at  an  early  hour,  the  next  morning,  and 
came  upon  deck  rubbing  his  eyes. 

"  Ho,  there  you  are ! "  sang  out  Jack  Bobstay.  "  Have  you  got 
your  sea-legs  on  ?  You  may  find  the  deck  wet  and  slippery, 
for      we     had      a     heavy      dew      or  '  something     else     last     night." 

Ralph  turned  to  the  east.  It  was  very  early  and  the  clouds  were 
just  beginning  to  light  up.  Between  the  steamer  and  the  horizon,  the 
sea  was  one  vast  surface  of  jet,  as  if  a  fire  had  gone  over  and  blackened 
this  prairie-like  area  and  had  then  been  swept  beyond  the  rim  of  the 
sea  into  a  deep,  deep  furnace  that  shot  a  warm  glow  up  among  the 
clouds.  Ralph  came  again  in  a  little  while.  The  east  was  full  of 
sharper  light,  the  clouds  stretching  one  above  another  in  gold  and 
red  and  orange  strata,  while  higher  up  swept  and  towered  broken, 
fugitive  masses  of  i^ist,  like  smoke  from  a  vast  prairie-fire.  The  sea 
had  now  brightened  from  black  to  gray,  and  stretched  toward  the 
east  like  a  great  ashy  hearth.  But  where  was  the  fire  itself?  Was 
it  still  beneath  the  sea  sending  up  that  sharp,  intense  light,  every 
moment  burning  sharper  and  intenser  ?  Suddenly,  away  over  on  tlie 
edge  of  this  hearth,  appeared  a  bright,  shining  little  coal !  How  pure 
and  golden ! 

"  But  it  grows !  "  said  Ralph. 

Yes,  this  tip  of  a  fire-brand  steadily  enlarged,  flashing,  sparkling 
dazzling,  till  it  hung  a  huge  ball  of  fire  above  the  sea,  and  thousands 
of  little  waves  stirred  and  glittered  as  if  consciously  to  lift  and  offer 
some  crown  to  this  king  of  the  aay. 

"  Ain't  she  a  beauty  ? "  said  Jack  Bobstay  looking  silently  over 
Ralph's  shoulder  and  watching  the  same  scene.  "  Now  turn  and  look 
westward ! " 


SUNRISE  LANDS  AT  LAST. 


97 


Ralph  swung  round  and  what  did-  he  see  ?  On  the  edge  of  the  sea 
was  a  glorious  pyramid  of  snow.  Was  the  earth  rising  up  to  do  early 
honor  to  this  king  of  gold,  and  holding  up  a  fair,  white  crown  for  his 
wearing  ? 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  asked  Ralph  in  tones  of  surprise  and  admiration. 

"  That  is  a  famous  mountain  on  this  side  of  the  Pacific,"  said  Jack 
gently  patting  Ralph's  shoulder,  "grand  old  Fujisan,  and  it  is  the 
pride  of  all  Japan." 

"  Then  we  are  near  Japan  ? " 

"  Sartin'.     Run  and   tell   Boson." 

Ralph  hurried  away  and  speedily  brought  Rick  who  finished  dressing 
himself  as   he   came   along.     The   two    boys  were   in  ecstasy. 

"  Let's  have   Uncle    Nat   up,"    said   Rick. 

Uncle  Nat  was  forced  to  leave  his  warm  nest  and  come  up  to 
see  the  sights.  One  excellent  thing  about  Uncle  Nat  was,  that  he 
could  enter  thoroughly  into  a  boy's  feelings,  and  he  said  "  My ! "  and 
''  Pshaw ! "  and  "  Look-er-there  !  "  as  many  times  as  his  enthusiastic 
nephews  desired. 

"  It  will  take  us  some  time  yet  to  get  to  harbor,  boys,  for  you 
can  see  old  Fuji  some  way  off." 

"  But  we  shall  get  there  to-day.  We  are  coming,  Sunrise  Land ! " 
said  Ralph. 

And  the  steamer's  engines  groaning  all  the  way  across  the  Pacific, 
now  seemed  .to  change  their  tune,  and  said  with  every  piston-stroke, 
"  Com  -  ing !  com  -  ing  !    com  -  ing,  Sun  -  rise  Land  !  " 

At  last  Jack  Bobstay  could  say  to  the  boys,  "  We  are  passing 
Cape  King,  and  that  is  at  the  entrance  of  the  bay  leading  to 
Yokohama." 

"  And  is  it  Japan  on  both  sides  of  us  ? "  asked  Rick,  eagerly 
looking   around. 


98 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUiYRJSE  LANDS. 


house.     We   are    about  a   dozen    miles  from 


"  Yes,  Boson.  We  are  going  by  the  pint,  and  there  is  the  light- 
Yokohama.  There  is  a 
big  city,  To 
kiyo,  the  capi- 
tal, up  the 
bay." 

The    morn- 
ing   breeze 
went    like    a 
broom    over 
the  bay,  stir- 
ring it  into  lit- 
tle ripples. 
%     Now  and  then 
H     the    steamer 
rushed  by  an 
^     island,     and 
"*     again   it  shot 
past    an    odd- 
looking     Jap- 
anese  junk. 
This     was 
very   high  in 
the  stern,  but 
low    in    the 
bows,  and  car- 
ried wide  sails 
swollen  by  the 
wind.     Some- 
matting  or   bamboo.     Amidships,  it 


times   these    sails   were  made  of 


SUNJ^ISE  LAND  AT  LA^T. 


99 


looked  as  if  a  house  with  a  pitch  bamboo-roof  had  been  built. 
The  cargo  was  stored  under  this  roof.  Rick  saw  birds  skim- 
ming the  waters  of  the  bay,  and  at  a  distance  the  birds  and  the 
junks  resembled  one  another.  Vessels  were  passed,  at  whose  mast- 
heads floated  the  colors  of  European  nations.  There  were  steamers 
from  Shanghai,  steamers  from  Marseilles,  steamers  from  Hong  Kong, 
^steamers  from  Southampton.  There  were  store-ships  too,  and  coal- 
hulks.  Back  of  the  shipping  in  the  harbor,  were  the  tiled  roofs  of 
Yokohama  and  still  farther  in  the  rear  was  a  swell  of  land  called 
the  Bluff,  and  dotted  with  houses.  The  Bluff  is  a  quarter  occupied 
with  many  handsome  residences  of  Europeans  especially.  Outside  of 
all,  rose  the  hills,  swelling  like  waves  from  the  sea  that  did  not 
know  when  and  where  to  stop,  but  continued  to  roll  back  from  the 
shore  till  petrified  by  some  resistless  edict. 

At  Yokohama,  there  were  no  wharves,  and  consequently  the  pas- 
•sengers  were  .dependent  on  boats  for  transportation.  Boats  were  not 
wanting,  by  any  means.  The  moment  the  steamer  let  go  her  anchor, 
she  became  a  target  at  which  boats  began  to  shoot  from  every  quarter. 
Their  occupants  were  muscular  men,  and  had  stout  arms  well- 
.adapted    to   their   work. 

'^  They  look  queer,"  thought  Ralph.  "  They  have  a  dingy  yellow  skin, 
and  my  !  their  heads  are  shaven  in  the  middle,  and  a  top-knot  sticks  up." 

Ralph  watched  the  Japanese  boatmen  as  they  sculled  their  boats 
rapidly  along.  The  oar  they  used  was  in  two  parts,  securely  fastened 
together.  Resting  on  the  gunwale  of  the  boat,  this  oar  is  held  there 
by  a  pin,  and  then  worked  as  in  sculling,  the  sweep  at  the  handle 
of  the  oar  being  about  two  feet.  Ralph  heard  one  singing  as  he 
sculled. 

''0    see  them   scull,  Rick ! "    cried  Ralph. 

The  scullers  were  lively  enough,  writhing  away  till  they  reached  the 


loo  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

Steamer,  and  then  they  did  not  use  the  muscles  of  their  arms  but  their 
moutiis,  yelUng  away  as  enthusiastically  as  the  starter  of  an  American 
horse-car  at  a  railway  station.  Some  of  the  steamer's  passengers  were 
preparing  to  go  ashore,  and  among  these  was  our  party.  Rick  had 
taken  a  sorrowful  leave  of  Siah  and  Jack  Bobstay,  but  he  had  not  yet 
said  good-bye  to  Joe  Pigtail,  and  w^as  it  strange  if  he  found  it  hard  to 
part  from  pretty  Amy  Clarendon,  a  little  girl  whose  acquaintance  he 
had  made  on  board  the  steamer?  This  last  agony  struck  deep  into 
Rick's  tender  heart. 

"  Good-bye  all,"  said  Uncle  Nat  hurrying  off,  and  then  he  added 
in  his  cheery  way,  "  may  we    meet  again  !     Come,  boys,  come ! " 

"  Me  see  you  again,  may  be  ! "    exclaimed  Joe. 

Amy  Clarendon  was  waving  her  hand,  and  Rick  thought  she  never 
looked  prettier.  The  stoical  Ralph  had  said  his  good-byes,  and  went 
off  promptly,  but  Rick  moved  with  hesitating  steps,  for  his  heart 
was  full.  He  must  have  one  more  look  at  —  Joe — Pigtail,  and  he 
fell  behind  Uncle  Nat  and  Ralph.  Allowing  his  eyes  to  rest  on 
Amy's   sweet   face,  he    was  saying,  "God  —  bless — dear — Joe — " 

"  Look  here,  youngster,  hurry  along !  My  valise  almost  went 
down  your  throat  then,"  said  a  passenger  who  had  a  very  disagreeable, 
jerky  style  of  speech  Rick  thought.  "  Let  '  dear  Joe '  go  and  move 
on,  please  ! " 

Rick  moved   on,  but  with    a   breaking   heart. 

The  next  morning,  Uncle  Nat  happened  to  see  under  Rick's  pillow 
these  lines  of  newspaper  poetry,  and  as  he  rather  liked  poetry  he  began 
to  read  the  first  stanza : 

"  How  oft,  alas !  thy  charming  face, 

Will    shine  athwart  my  dreams  ! 
In  such  a  moment,  darkest  night 

Like  brightest   moon-day  seems." 


SUNRISE  LANDS  AT  LAST. 

"  That  will  do!  "said  Uncle  Nat  —  "Nonsense!  A  bad  case  of  the 
measles ! " 

Measles !  It  was  something  far  more  romantic,  for  Rick's  pillow- 
companion  had  sent  him,  the  night  before,  mto  dream-land,  and  there 
he  and  somebody  else  wandered  away  'mid  groves  and  flowers  and 
birds  and   streams   and  —  so   forth. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


IN    YOKOHAMA. 


A  STYLE  OF  DRESS. 


WA!     ho!    ho! 
huida!" 
What   was  that? 
It  was  a  strange,  dis- 
mal sound  that  came 
to  Ralph  and   Rick 
as   they  went   with 
Uncle  Nat  into  the 
Japanese  quarter  of 
Yokohama.     In  the 
foreign  section,  there 
were     features     re- 
minding  them   of    home.       There   were   handsome    stores     with    fine 
stone-fronts.       There    were   hotels   and    banks.       There    were    street- 
lamps.     Foreigners   abounded. 

In  the  native  quarter  of  Yokohama,  one  saw  sights  and  heard  sounds 
peculiarly  Japanese.  The  place  abounded  in  novelties.  And  now  up 
from  the  street  came  this  low,  hoarse  cry,  "  "Wa !  ho !  ho !  Imida !  " 
It  was  a  series  of  groans  and  grunts.  Stepping  out  doors,  they  saw 
a  native  cart  well  loaded  with  bales  of  goods.  The  cart  had  two 
wheels,  and  the  motive  power  was  not  that  of  horses  but  men. 
Between  the  shafts  and  at  the  same  time  behind  a  cross-bar,  two 
men   were   propelling.     Then  at   the  rear  of   the  cart  were  two  mora 


IN  YOKOHAMA. 


103 


men  steadily  shoving.  All  four  were  humped  and  bowed  as  if  working 
prodigiously,  and  lost  to  everything  but  the  occupation  of  cart-shoving, 
but  whoever  did  the  shoving,  the  two  men  in  front  were  dismally 
groaning,  and  those  behind  replied,  and  a  grunting  time  they  had 
of  it.  There  were  many  of  these  man-carts  in  the  streets,  conveying 
goods.  There  was  a  scarcity  of  horse-flesh,  and  the  boys  missed  the 
clattering  of  hoofs,  and  also  the  rumbling  of  heavy  carts  making 
Boston-streets    so   noisy. 

Ralph  went  back  to  his  room  at  the  International  Hotel,  saying 
he  must  look  up  something  on 
Japan.  Throwing  himself  back  on 
a  comfortable  sofa,  he  began  to 
read  a  book  that  Uncle  Nat  gave 
him.  When  Ralph  and  Rick  reached 
Concord  again,  they  arranged  for 
a  lecture  on  Japan  in  their  barn. 
Rick  took  the  tickets,  five  cents 
for  adults,  two  cents  for  boys  of 
ten,  aid  half  of  the  latter  price  for 
still  younger  children.  Three  empty 
soap-boxes  piled  one  upon  the  other 
made  a  lecturer's  table  whose 
height  of  four  feet  was  about  as  am- 
bitious as  would  accommodate  the 
lecturer,  and   behind  his  barricade 

stood  Ralph  reading  from  a  manuscript.  A  barn-lantern  suspended 
from  the  roof  shed  a  very,  very  thin  light  upon  the  audience,  and 
gave  the  lecturer  only  a  tenth  of  a  chance  to  read  his  manuscript. 
The  audience  consisted  of  Gus  Freeman,  Joe  Simes,  Tom  Eaton  and 
Billy  Blaney,  who  for  the  consideration  of  two  cents  had  been  admitted 


ON   A  COMFORTABLE   SOFA. 


I04 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


to  '*  an  exhibition  of  Japanese  Curiosities,  also  a  Performance  of  Jap- 
anese feats,  to  be  preceded  by  a  lecture  from  Ralph  Rogers,  Esq.,  re- 
cently from  Japan."  Gus  Freeman  as  an  intimate  friend  was  passed 
in  free,  a  dead-head.  This  entertainment  had  been  advertised  on 
posters  as  extensively  as  the  surface  of  the  garden-gate  would  permit. 
A  portion  of  what  Ralph  said  that  afternoon  came  from  his  reading 
on  the  sofa  in  the  International  Hotel,  and  other  items  he  gathered 
through  those  faithful  gleaners,  the  eyes  and  ears.     As  Bridget  Mahoney, 


STREET    IN   YOKOHAMA. 


the  sei<v^ant,  put  up  her  head  above  the  barn-chamber   stairs,  at   Mrs. 
Rogers'   request,  to  see  what  was  going  on,  it  enabled  Ralph    to  sa}-, 


"  Ladies  and  Q-entlemen :  —  Japan  is  a  very  interesting  place.  It  is,  as 
has  been  said,  our  next-door  western  neighbor,  that  is  of  any  special  size. 
It  is  well  therefore  for  us  who  are  young  men  to-day,"  (applause  from 
Gus,  Joe,  Tom,  and  Billy,)  "  to  get  some  idea  on  the  subject.  Japan  is  a 
spot  in  the  temperate  zone,  or  spots  rather,  for  it  is  an  empire  of  islands,  the 
principal  being  Hondo,  Kiushiu,  Yezo  and  Shikoku.  It  is  claimed  to  have 
three  tliousand  eig^ht  liniulred  islands  in  all.     Put  all  its  miles  together  and 


IN  YOKOHAMA. 


ro5 


they  would   not  make   a   country  equal    to    France,  which  our   republic  can 
swallow  at  least  fifteen  times. 

"The  people  number  about  thirt3--five  millions,  and  are  quite  bright,  and  in 
some  things  cannot  be  beat,  even  by  a  Concord-boy.  (Applause.)  Every 
country  has  its  savage  wild  people,  who  are  thought  to  be  the  first  settlers. 
These  in  Japan  are  the  Ainos.  They  live  in  houses  that  are  made  of  reeds 
fastened  upon  a  wooden  frame-work,  and  these  have  a  sharp,  high  roof.. 
The  ridge-pole  is  decorated.  The  people  are  inferior  to  the  Japanese.  Japan  is 
quite  mountianous,  and  has  a  bad  way  of  shaking  sometimes,  but  the  people  do 
not  seem  to  mind  it.  There  are  hundreds  of  dead  volcanoes,  and  over 
twenty  are  still  alive  and  kicking.  The  crack  mountain  of  Japan  is  Fujisan, 
which  is  about  thirteen  thousand  feet  above  the  ocean,  and  for  a  hundred  miles 
away  can  be  seen.  For  nine  months  at  least  in  the  year,  its  peaked  top  is  cov- 
ered with  snow.  The  Japanese  have  a  map  of  twelve  provinces  from  which  it 
can  be  seen.  The  people  hold  it  in  sacred  awe,  and  travel  hundreds  of  miles 
that  they  may  reach  its  top  and  there  worship.  If  any  of  my  audience  should 
honor  Japan  with  a  visit,  they  will  see  Fujisan  as  they  near  the  coast,  and  it  is 
a  very  handsome  sight,  as  my  companion,  the  Hon.  Richard  Rogers,  will  tes- 
tify. (The  Hon.  Richard  Rogers  about  this  time  was  staining  his  face  that  he 
might  take  the  part  of  a  Japanese  juggler  in  the  coming  feats.)  The  Jap- 
anese are  very  nice  workmen  in  fancy  goods,  and  they  get  up  some  cuiuiing 
things  in  gardening,  like  dwarf  trees  and  plants.  They  are  introducing  Amer- 
ican and  European  ideas,  and  in  some  places  are  adopting  them  quite  rapidly. 

"The  old-style  Japanese  dress  is  a  kind  of  gown  or  long  frock  called  the 
kimono,  and  around  the  waist  goes  a  girdle  or  sash,  the  women  wearing  it 
broader  than  the  men,  and  the  ends  the  ladies  tie  behind  as  a  bustle.  Besides 
the  kimono,  a  shorter  garment  is  often  worn  over  it  called  the  haori.  Many  of 
the  men,  the  younger  ones,  wear  hakama  or  big  trousers  over  the  kimono, 
letting  the  haori  stay  outside.  The  women  like  to  fix  up  their  hair  in  bows 
and  bunches,  and  go  bare-headed.  The  girdle  is  a  very  convenient  place  to 
stow  away  things  in,  and  the  sleeves  in  the  Japanese  dress  are  so  big  that  they 
become  famous  store-houses.  The  aristocracy  afford  themselves  silk,  but  the 
lower  classes  liave  plainer  stuff  like  calico  and  linen. 


io5 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


"  There  was  a  class  of  troublesome  nobles  called  the  thiiiniyo,  that  have  now- 
been  set  aside.  Their  old  court  dress  must  have  given  them  a  look  like  a  full- 
blown   snap-(lragon,  and   I    i  tiess  tlie  government  found  them  all  that.     The 

new-style  dress  is  the  for- 
eign* one  of  coat  and  pants, 
and    is   coming   into  use 
pretty  fast  in  some  places. 
You  will  see  government 
officers  wearing  it,  and  it 
is  the  fashionable  evening 
dress,     but    some    people 
dDiTi  look  as  if  they  felt  at 
home  ill  it.     The  emperor 
rides  out  in  a   European 
carriage,  and  dresses  in  the 
European     style.       The 
houses  are  apt  to  be  rather 
low  and  they  build  them  of 
wood    generally.     But  in 
some    places    like    Yoko- 
hama, they  are  begiimiiig 
to      build     more     solid." 
(Here  Gus   and  Billy  be- 
gan to  be  drowsy,   as  the 
auditorium      was      rather 
"  close,"    and    Ralph   re- 
sorted to  a  ruse.      "  Fire  r 
Fire  !  "  he  shouted.     Billy 
and  Gus  started,   and  be- 
gan to  gaze  about  wildly) 
'^  I  was  oidy  going  to  remark,"  resumed  the  lecturer,  "  that  they  liave  had  some 
fearful  fires  in  Japan,  because  the  houses  are  so  generally  of  wood  and  so  lio-htlv 
built,  but  as  I  said  they  are  building  more  solid.    The  lie^ul  of  the  Japanese  gov- 


DAIMIVO    JN    C(JL:rT    URESS. 


IN  YOKOHAMA. 


109 


ernment  is  the  Mikado,  and:  he  has  an  army  andnavj'-,  into  both  of  which  foreign 
ideas  have  made  their  way.  The  Japanese  flag  is  a  red  sun  on  a  white  ground. 
The  climate  is  ^yllat  you  might  expect  in  the  temperate  zone.  They  have  wind.s 
that  blow  pretty  hard  and  come  pretty  quick.  Around  Yokohama,  the  snow  is 
seldom  seen  deeper  than  two  or  three  inches,  but  then  there  are  other  places 
where  it  comes  heavier,  sometimes  in  mountain-valleys  accumulating  to  a  great 
depth,  and  I  think  I  could  stand  a  little  more  than  they  have  at  Yokohama." 

If  the  eloqtient  lecturer  had  said,  '•  a  little  more  liglit,"  it  would 
have  been  more  appropriate.  The  barn-chandelier  threatened  to  fail 
the  lecturer,  as  the  light  began  to  sputter.  It  soon  shamefully  went 
out  altogether,  leaving  Ralph  in  a  predicament.  At  first,  he  attempted 
to  extemporize,  but  in  a  moment  he  was  ominously  pausing  and 
"hem-hemming."  He  saved  himself  however  by  fiercely  declaring 
that  he  would  rather  live  in  old  Concord  than  in  Yokohama,  for  on 
the  hills  at  home,  winter  did  give  a  boy  a  good  chance  to  coast. 
Giving  way  now  to  a  "  noted  Japanese  juggler,"  the  lecturer  was  re- 
warded by  the  enthusiastic  applause  of  the  audience  for  this  com- 
pliment  to   New  England  coasting. 


CHAPTER    X. 


EARTHQUAKES    AND    RAILROADS. 


KECONNIOTKRING    FOK    AN    KARlUQUAKp:. 


"D  ^^'K  awoke  the  next 
-*-^  night  and  was  start- 
led to  find  himself  tremb- 
ling. Was  the  trembling 
inside  of  him  or  outside  of 
him?  He  could  hardly 
determine  the  point.  The 
agitation  came  again.  Still 
more  thoroughly  frightened 
now,  he  was  conscious  that 
while  his  heart  within  was 
thumping,  the  bed  without 
was  shaking. 


"  Ralph !  "    exclaimed  Rick  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 

No  answer. 

"  Ralph !  "  Another  shaking ;  floor,  walls,  furniture  —  all  trembling. 
Had    the   evil    spirits  of    the   Japanese   come  into   the   house  ? 

The   sleeper   stirred   and    said,  "  What  is   it  ? " 

'^Did  you   hear  that,  Ralph?" 

"No  — Yes." 

"  Something  awful.     Let's  get  out  of  bed  and  speak  to  Uncle  Nat." 

They  both  sprang  out  of  bed  and  started  for  "  dear  Uncle  Nat," 
as   Rick    said    in  his    lieart,   dearer   now    than    ever. 


EARTHQUAKES  AND  RAILROADS.  iii 

*^  Uncle   Nat!" 

No  reply  but  a  snore. 

At  Uncle  Nat's  bedside,  there  stood  in  the  moonlight,  two  trembling 
boys,  each    face   colorless   as  a  sheet. 

''Uncle   Nat!"  called  Rick.     "Uncle   Nat!" 

His  sleepy  relative  groaned. 

"  Did   you   hear   that  ? " 

"Y  — e  — s  — " 

"What   was    it?" 

"  You  —  hoi  —  ler  —  ing." 

^'  No,  but   the    shaking." 

"Oh  — it's  Yo— yo  — ko  — " 

"  Yokohama  ? " 

"  Yes,   she's  —  got  —  the   shakes." 

"  Got  what  ?  "  , 

"A  fit  —  of  ag  —  ag  —  ue." 

"What?" 

"  Earthquake,  child !  go   to  bed." 

"  Oh  uncle  !  " 

Rick  almost  expected  to  see  a  great  mouth  yawning  beneath  him, 
swallowing  him  and  Ralph  up.  No  mouth  opened.  But  what  was 
that  noise  ?  It  was  Uncle  Nat  snoring  again.  Plainly,  he  was  not 
afraid.     The  brothers  went  to  the  windows    and  looked  out. 

"  Let's  see  if  we  can  see  anything,"  said  Ralph  in  a  hushed 
voice. 

No  earthquake  was  visible,  nor  was  any  disturbance  anywhere 
manifest.  The  white  moonlight  rested  like  a  fresh  fall  of  snoAV 
on  all  the  house-roofs.  The  boys  crept  back  to  bed,  and  cuddled 
down  beside  one  another,  directing  two  sober  faces  and  four  big 
eyes    toward   the    moonlight.     A  late    comer   was   heard   to    open   the 


112 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


hotel  door,  then  his  footsteps  sounded  on  the  stairs,  and  finally  the 
boys  caught  the  rattling  of  a  key  in  the  lock  of  an  adjoining  door. 
All  was  now  still.  Ralph  fell  asleep.  Two  eyes  were  left  staring 
at  the  moonlight,  but  Rick  began  to  be  drowsy  and  one  eye  ceased 
its  watch.  At  last  the  snowy  moonlight  was  searching  everywhere, 
but  not  an  eye  was  o]3en  to  follow  its  progress  over  the  floor. 

The  next  morning.  Rick  said  to  Uncle  Nat :    "  Were  not  you  afraid  ?  " 

"Afraid?  No,  they 
have  earthquakes  too  often 
for  that." 

"  But  don't  they  do  harm 
Uncle   Nat?" 

"  Well,  yes,  sometimes ;  1 
heard  a  man  at  the  break- 
fast table  say  that  years 
ago,  there  was  a  very 
malicious  earthquake.  It 
shook  and  shook  and  shook, 
and  it  brought  down  heavy 
roofs  of  tiles,  and  sixty 
thousand  people  were 
crushed  to  death.  I  un- 
derstand there  was  a  heavj' 
There   are    generally  three 


THE   ROUNC   moon. 


one   recently,    a    great    chimney-tumbler, 
shocks  and  the   second  is  the  worst." 

The  next  night,  the  earthquake  came  again.  Uncle  Nat  m  the 
meantime  had  changed  his  room,  and  when  Ralph  and  Rick,  aroused 
by  the  shock,  left  their  bed  to  slip  on  their  clothes  and  hunt  for  Uncle 
Nat  in  his  new  quarters,  they  stole  along  the  entry  guided  by  the 
moonlight,   only  to  find  and  enter  —  whose  room  ? 


EARTHQUAKES  AND  RAILROADS.  115 

"  Oil   Uncle   Nat,    she's  come  again ! " 

"  Another  earthquake.  Uncle  Nat !     It's  me  and  Rick,"  said   Ralph. 

The  two  boys  were  pressing  into  the  room  half-lighted  by  the  moon- 
beams, when  out  of  the  curtains  enclosing  a  bed,  the  face  of  an  old 
man  was  protruded,  a  long  scalp-lock  and  a  sharp  nose  projecting 
into  the  light  that  the  round  moon  at  the  window  shed  so  liberally. 

"  Show,  show  !  "  said  a  thin  querulous  voice.  •'  Little  boys  musn't 
be  up  making  a  noise  at  this  time  of  night.  You  must  go  right  to 
your   room.     Now   go  !  " 

And   they   went. 

Rogers  brothers  thought  they  would  rather  live  in  New  England 
even  if  there  they  could  not  get  some  things  the  Japanese  had.  But 
by  nine  o'clock,  the  next  morning,  the  subject  of  earthquakes  was 
entirely  forgotten,  as  the  boys  were  full  of  anticipation  of  a  railroad 
ride   from   Yokohama  to    Tokiyo,    the    capital. 

'*  Will  not  Dr.   Walton   go  with  us  ? "   asked  the   boys. 

"  I  guess  so,"   replied  Uncle  Nat.     "  We  might  ask  him." 

Dr.  Walton  was  a  physician  from  Boston,  who  had  been  in  Japan 
a  number  of  years.  Boarding  at  the  International,  he  had  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Uncle  Nat  and  his  nephews.  The  boys  took  to  him 
decidedly.  He  was  about  thirty,  rather  tall  and  rather  stout.  His 
complexion  was  very  clear,  taking  on  a  blush  almost  as  readily  as  a 
baby's,  and  his  eyes  were  like  handsome  black  cherries. 

"  Yes,  I  do  like  Dr.  Walton,"   declared  Ralph. 

"  And  so  do  I,"  responded  Rick. 

When  dressing  for  an  evening  walk,  the  doctor  threw  over  his 
shoulders  a  student's  cloak  whose  folds  drooped  with  a  peculiar  grace, 
the  boys'  admiration  was  enthusiastic.  It  was  then  they  thought  they 
would  rather  stroll  with  him  than  with  the  mikado  himself.  When 
Dr.  Walton   said    lie  would  go  to  Tokiyo  with  them,  they  knew  that 


ii6  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

on  account  of  his  long  Japanese  residence  he  would  make  a  valuable 
companion.  The  party  took  the  cars  at  the  fine  railroad  station  of 
stone  in  Yokohama.  Everytliing  was  now  ready,  and  the  engine 
commencing  to  spit  and  cough  as  if  to  get  cinders  out  of  its  throat, 
the  cars  rumbled  away. 

"  Oh  see,"  said   Ralph   looking  out  of    a  car-window,  there's  a  — " 

"  Jinrikisha,"    said    the    doctor. 

"Jim   Ricker's    Shay?  "asked   Rick.     "Who's  he?" 

"  It  isn't  a  boy  —  it's  a  carriage,"  said  Ralph  chagrined  at  the 
younger  Rogers'  ignorance  of   Japanese   facts. 

"A  jinrikisha  is  for  riding  purposes,  and  it  always  seemed  to  me 
like  an  American  baby  carriage.  One  man  draws,  and  another  pushes 
behind,  when  a  long  distance  is  to  be  travelled,  but  in  short  journeys 
a  single  man  draws.  It  goes  faster  than  a  baby  carriage,  I  can  assure 
you,  for  the  men  propelling  it  are  strong  fellows.  You  can  travel 
forty  miles  a  day,  and  more  even  in  the  jinrikisha — style.  One 
day,  I  went  seventy-two  miles,  riding  from  five  in  the  morning  to  seven 
at  night,  changing  men.  The  jinrikisha  moves  at  about  the  rate  of 
an  American  horse-car.  We  rely  on  them  a  good  deal  for  riding  pur- 
poses, and  while  there  are  hundreds  of  jinrikishas  in  Yokohama,  in 
Tokiyo  there  are  thousands.  It  is  cheap  riding,  only  two  cents  for  a 
short  distance ;  and  for  ten  cents  you  can  keep  your  jinrikisha  an  hour, 
and  for  fifty  cents  all  day.  The  motion  in  this  carriage  is  a  little 
peculiar,  but  you  get  used  to  it." 

After  this  statement  by  the  doctor.  Rick  made  up  his  mind  it  must 
be  splendid  to  ride  in  "  Jim  Ricker's  Shay  "  and  resolved  to  try  it  at  the 
first  opportunity  that  offered. 

Looking  out  of  the  car-windows  again,  they  saw  a  cart  in  a  road 
near  by.  The  cart  was  heaped  high  with  vegetables.  In  front,  pulled 
a  man,  and  behiiid  the  cart  v/as  a,  woman  wlio  pushed  with  docility. 


EARTHQUAKES  AND  RAILROADS.  117 

The  vehicle  halted,  and  the  man  and  his  female-assistant  stared  at  the 
passing,  rattling  train. 

"  There,  don't  you  suppose  they  envy  us,  doctor  ? " 

"  Yes,  captain,  and  perhaps  they  hate  the  foreign  innovation.  When 
the  telegraph  wires  were  put  up,  the  farmers  were  so  hostile  that  when 
one  was  stretched  over  their  fields,  they  said  the  evil  spirits  would  not 
favor  their  crops,  and  they  —  not  the  evil  spirits  but  the  farmers,  though 
the  latter  acted  like  them  —  cut  the  wire  and  then  tried  to  smash  the 
glass  insulators  of  the  poles  !  It  was  a  mystery  to  them  how  a  message 
could  go  over  the  wire,  and  they  would  watch  curiously  a  long  while 
to  see  the  news  travel !  When  this  railroad  was  opened  less  than  ten 
years  ago,  I  was  present.  They  had  a  big  time,  and  the  big  officials 
including  the  mikado,  or  emperor,  were  present.  One  very  marked 
thing  was  the  presenting  of  an  address  to  the  emperor  by  a  deputation 
of  four  merchants.  That  was  a  great  thing  in  Japan,  when  the  mer- 
chant-caste, which  does  not  stand  high,  thus  approach(  d  and  saw  the 
mikado,  a  being  once  bottled  up  and  kept  in  the  dark,  s»j  to  speak,  like 
phosphorus." 

"  What  is  that  man  doing  ?  "  asked  Ralph  calling  the  doctor's  atten- 
tion to  a  person  who  seemed  to  be  stopping  at  the  side  of  a  road  they 
passed.     The  stranger  was  intent  on  work  he  held  in  his  lap. 

"  That  must  l^e  an  artist,"  answered  the  doctor,  "  and  he  seems  to 
be  sketching  something.  The  Japanese,  you  know,  are  very  fond  of 
drawing  and  painting.  Some  of  their  sketches  are  ugly  and  grotesque, 
but  very  original  certainly.  And  they  show  genius  of  a  certain  kind. 
Here  is  a  horse,"  and  the  doctor  showed  a  picture  he  had  with  him. 
"  This  horse  certainly  is  full  of  fire  and  yet  the  artist  executing  it  did 
it  in  seven  strokes,  adding  a  few  brush-sweeps  for  tail  and  mane. 
The  Japanese  have  peculiar  skill  in  outline  drawing.  They  will  dash 
off  the  form  of  a  bird,  and  the  whole  thing  is  very  spirited." 


CHAPTER    XI. 


SIGHT-SEEING   IN    TOKIYO. 


''  I  "OKIYO,  the  capital  of  Japan,  interested  the 
■*■     boys   very  much,   and    in   the    company    of 
Uncle  Nat  and  the  doctor,  they  started  out 
to  see  what  they  could  find. 
\         ^^^^^^^K^^  "'  ^^^^  i^  ^^^^   street  ? "   asked    the 

k  ^A    ^^^^^^B^_  inquisitive  Rick. 

^y      ^^^BBP^^^^^^^  "  ^^^^  ^^  ^^®  Tori,  a  prominent 

fl  ^1.  street  in  the  capital.     You 

^1  m  Y    >^^        see  how  many  people  are 

^A^^  I  \  Y^^^^^        here.       All   sorts    of 

^     ^^^^1^^  \  ^^Sji^^^^B       craft  sail    into   these 

^^  ^^  ^.^^^^Bfl^^^^^^o       quarters,"     answered 

w  ^^^^PlPS^a^^^^^^^^^       ^^^  doctor. 

Rick  was  interested 
in  the  conveyances 
there.  There  were 
the  man-carts  for  mer- 
chandise, the  jinrikishas  for  passengers,  and  there  was  the  kago,  a 
vehicle  that  offered  foot-sore  pedestrians  a  ride  if  they  would  get 
into  a  covered  basket  suspended  from  a  pole  borne  on  men's  shoul- 
ders, but  this  last  vehicle  is  one  seldom  seen  in  Tokiyo.  There  was  a 
great,  busy  throng  in  the  street,  and  side  by  side  walked  Old  Japan 


THE  SEVEN-STROKED    HORSE.      (See page  II7.) 


IlS 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  TOKIYO.  119 

and  New  Japan.  There  were  those  still  clinging  to  the  Japanese  dress, 
and  some  that  wore  the  coat  and  pants  fashionable  beyond  the  seas. 
There  were  police  who  like  American  police  wore  uniforms.  A 
horse  and  carriage  went  past  the  boys.  And  the  shops,  who  could 
count  them  ?  Their  style  was  peculiar,  their  roofs  being  heavily  cov- 
ered with  black  tiles.  Where  these  tiles  were  jointed,  they  showed  nar- 
row white  strips  of  mortar. 

"  0  see.  Uncle  Nat,"  cried   Rick.     "  See  that  man  selling  goo   i." 

It  was  a  Japanese  not  actually  selling  to  a  purchaser,  but  v  dting 
for  one.  He  sat  on  a  floor  that  had  been  covered  with  matting,  ^  nd  on 
either  side  were  piles  of  his  goods  offered  for  every  one's  inspection,  the 
front  of  the  store  having  been  entirely  removed. 

"  If  you  would  like,"  said  the  doctor,  "we  will  look  at  some  of  the 
streets  about  here.  You  will  find  special  lines  of  goods  in  those  we 
visit,  and  the  array  is  interesting.     Let  us  go  to  the  Dyers'  street." 

Here  were  dyed  goods,  and  one  readily  detected  the  odor  of  the 
vats  for  the  immersing  of  articles  to  be  colored.  In  another  street 
there  was   nothing  but   bureaus    and    cabinets. 

"  See,"  said  Ralph,  ''  there's  a  man  sawing  and  he  pulls  the  saw 
toward  him  rather  than  pushes  it  from  him  as  we  do." 

"  The  teeth  are  not  set  the  same  way  as  ours  but  the  reverse," 
replied  the  doctor. 

In  a  third  street,   they  found  goods  that  had  come  across  the  seas. 

"  The  old  beer  bottles !  "  exclaimed  Rick  who  was  a  total  abstinence 
boy.     "  Must   these   things    come    over   too  ? " 

They  went  into  Bamboo  street  where  the  shop-keepers  sold  bamboo 
poles.  One  street  the  boys  called  pretty,  as  folding  screens  were 
there,  and  upon  these,  pictures  had  been  sketched  and  poetry  written. 

"We  have  plenty  of  streets  in  Tokiyo,"  said  the  doctor.  "Some 
are    named    after    the    occupations    of   the    people    in    them,  such   as 


12a  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRJSE  LANDS. 

Blaoksmith  and  Cooper.  There  are  those  named  after  trees  or 
flowers  like  Cedar  and  Chrysanthemum.  Plum  Orchard  street  may 
be  found,  also  Wheat  and  Indigo  streets.  There  are  those  having 
fanciful  namey  like  '  Abounding  Gladness.'  " 

They  had  been  looking  at  the  signs  displayed  by  different  stores. 
A  goldbeater  announced  his  presence  by  huge  spectacles,  substituting 
gold  for  glass.  The  kite-maker  was  advertised  by  a  cuttle-fish,  and 
a  trader  in  cut  flowers  showed  the  sign  of  a  little  willow  tree.  Every 
spiked  white  ball  —  and  these  would  average  eighteen  inches  in 
diameter  —  threw  the  boys  into  a  pleasureable  excitement,  for  the 
white  ball  meant  a  candy  shop.  Still  strolling  about,  Ralph  suddenly 
exclaimed,    "  There   is   water,    doctor !  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  a  canal,  very  handy  in  carrying  goods  about,  and  we 
lavo  many  canals  in  Tokiyo." 

"  Couldn't  we   have   a   boat-ride,  Uncle   Nat  ? " 

"  Oh  yes,  I  would  like  to  have  a  ride  myself.  Here,  here.  Take 
us  round,  won't  you  ? "  said  Uncle  Nat,  calling  to  a  boatman  who 
brought  his  craft  to  the  bank  at  once.  "  Don't  you  see,  boys,  ^ow 
he  understood  me.  Either  I  talk  good  Japanese,  or  he  knows  good 
English.     Step  aboard  !  " 

The  craft  was  one  that  carried  what  the  boys  called  "a  cunning 
cabin,"  a  little  house  in  the  centre,  and  through  its  windows  they 
could  look  and  see  what  was  passing,  as  the  boatman  polled  it 
along.  There  were  the  skiffs  of  fruit  sellers,  and  boats  loaded  with 
merchandise,  or  fishermen  sculled  along  their  crafts  while  boys  on 
the  banks  took  their  first  lesson  in  the  piscatory  art,  and  into  the 
canal   dropped    their   lines   "for  a    bite." 

"  We  go  at  a  pretty  good  rate,  don't  we,  Rick  ?  Almost  as  fast  as 
you  did,  last  summer,  when  you  tried  to  make  that  boat  go,"  said 
Ralph. 


I 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  TQKIVO. 


123 


"What  was  that,    Rick?"    inquired   Uncle   Nat. 

Rick  was  blushing.  He  did  not  recall  that  exploit  with  satisfaction, 
for  it  was  one  day  when  deeply  in  love  with  a  very  young  lady  at 
a  summer  resort,  he  attempted  to  give  her  a  boat-ride  on  an  adjacent 
pond,  and  in   his   excitement   had   forgotten   to  untie   the   rope ! 

Ralph  very  kindly  spared  the  champion  oarsman  any  further  morti- 
fication,  and   the    subject 
was   dropped. 

Another  day,  they  went 
to  the  famous  Nihon  Bashi, 
a  bridge,  and  from  it  looked 
off  upon  the  tiled  roofs  of 
the  city  and  upon  the 
snowy  cone  of  Fugisan. 
Before  them,  too,  were  the 
towers  of  the  famous  cas- 
tle of  Tokiyo.  This  castle 
was  also  visited.  They 
saw  its  wa'ls  of  stone,  the 
deep,  wide  moats  without, 
extending  eleven  miles  in 
all.     That  day,  one  other 

noteworthy  place  was  reached,  a  palace  belonging  to  the  emperor.     Beau- 
tiful  grounds  measuring  a  hundred  acres  adjoined  this  palace. 

"  This   is  a  big  place,"  observed  Uncle  Nat  "  this  city  of  Tokiyo." 

"  Yes,  captain,  and  so  the  old  emperor  lyeyasu  was  right  when 
he  believed  the  city  would  be  something,  and  in  making  bounds 
for  Tokiyo,  he  went  far  beyond  the  settled  quarters  and  set  up  towers 
and  gates  without  any  connecting  walls,  believing  that  some  day 
they  would    be    erected.      People    laughed    at   his  work,    but    he    was 


THE   CHAMPION    OARSMAN. 


124 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  L.ANDS. 


right.     We   have    seen    to-day   some  -of  the  better  parts  of  the    city. 
This   will  do   for   to-day,    I    guess." 

"  No."  tlioiight  Hick,  "  it  won't  do.     T  liave  not  ridden  in  a   '  Jim 

Kicker's  Shay '  yet.  I 
will,  if  Uncle  Nat  lets 
me,  this  very  day." 

That  afternoon,  while 
Uncle  Nat  and  the  doc- 
tor were  away.  Rick  and 
Ralph  were  in  their  room 
at  the  hotel. 

'•''  I  wonder  what  time 
it  is,  Ralph." 

"  I  don't  know,  Rick, 
for  we  have  no  clock," 

"  Oh  dear,"  sighed  the 
younger  brother  in  his 
heart.  "  I  wish  a  clock 
was  as  handy  here  as  at 
grandpa's." 

That  clock  at  grand- 
pa's, how  Rick  when 
younger  would  watch  it ! 

But  he  was  thousands 
of     miles    away     from 
GRANDPA'S  CLOCK.  graudpa's    and   nothing 

like  a  clock  was  in  the  room.  He  went  down  to  the  hotel  office  to 
learn  the  hour.  Passing  the  outer  door,  he  looked  through  and  saw 
a  jinrikisha  waiting  by  the   sidewalk.     Its  runners  wore  big  bowl-like 


hats,  and  were  dressed  in  blue  shirts  and  blue  tights. 


A  thought  came 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  TOKIYO.  125 

to  him  ;  why  not  take  this  jinrikisha  and  go  down  to  that  store  where 
Uncle  Nat  and  the   doctor  said  they  were   going? 

"'  The  shopkeeper's  name  is  Inu  and  I  can  write  it,  I  guess,"  con- 
. eluded  Rick. 

Uncle  Nat,  however,  had  not  said  that  the  man's  name  was  Inu. 
Rick  had  asked  for  it,  and  Uncle  Nat  answered,  "  I  knew,  but "  — 
That  moment  he  was  called  out  of  the  room.  Rick  caught  the  "  I 
knew,"    he    did   not   hear   the    "  but." 

"  Ah,"  thought   Rick,  "  it    is    Inu,  which    is    a   Japanese    word." 

It   happens    that    the    word    means    "  dog." 

Uncle  Nat  had  told  the  boys  to  pick  up  all  the  knowledge  they  could, 
and  they  had  been  practicing  on  a  few  Japanese  Avords  and  Rick  could 
write  "  Inu."  He  put  "  Inu  "  on  a  slip  of  paper,  pointed  in  the  supposed 
direction  of  the  shop,  and  as  he  handed  the  slip  to  the  bearers,  with 
a  lordly  air  mounted  the  jinrikisha.  The  men  took  the  paper,  read 
it  and  threw  it  away.  Then  they  turned  to  Rick,  smiled  affectionately, 
and  trotted  off  with  their  princely  burden.  One  runner  would  have 
been  enough,  but  Rick  meant  to  go  in  a  style  as  ostentatious  as 
possible. 

''  How  intelligent  the  Japanese  are,"  said  Rick,  "  and,  what  a  good 
knowledge  I  have  of  the  language.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  could 
find  my  way  all  over  Japan  myself  without  Uncle  Nat  and  the  doctor. 
Nice,    knowing   people,    these    Japanese." 

The  men  had  said  to  one  another,  '"  Inu !  It  means  that  he  has 
lost  a  dog  and  wants  us  to  find  it.  We  will  do  what  we  can."  Away 
they  went. 

He  soon  noticed  that  they  stopped  and  made  inquiries,  a  fact  which 
he  could  not  understand,  for  he  supposed  that  every  one  knew  where 
"  Mr.  Inu "  kept.  The  men  wheeled  into  various  streets,  occasionally 
halting    and    apparently    asking  questions. 


126  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"Look  here!"  Rick  shouted.     "Why  don't  you  go  to  Mr.  Inu's?" 

The  men  smiled  blandly  and  nodding  went  on.  Once  they  stopped 
ind   patting   a  dog,  made    signs    to    Rick.     He   was  in  disgust. 

"  Lazy  fellers !  "  he  bawled.  "  Don't  stop  to  fool  with  that  dog. 
iTou  don't  half  earn  your  money.     Don't  you  know  Mr.  Inu's  place  ? " 

"  It  is  not  his  dog  and  we  must  hunt  farther,"  they  said  and 
#till  smiling    they  trundled  forward  their  small  load  of  a  volcano. 

Rick   was   now   furious. 

"It  is  I-nu,  I-nu!  Must  I  spell  it,  I-n-u!  Don't  you  under- 
.^tand,  boobies  ?  " 

On  they  went,  stopping  now  and  then  to  speak  to  people.  Rick 
thought  to  himself,  "  How  hateful  these  men  do  look !  "  The  day 
was  quite  warm  for  spring,  and  these  intelligent  Japanese  had  laid 
aside  their  hats,  and  their  half-bald  heads  went  bobbing  up  and 
down  like  gooseberries  rolling  over  pebbles.  Rick  thought  of  Charley 
Ross,  the  Philadelphia  boy,  and  conjectured  that  these  men  must 
have  been  poor  Charley's  kidnappers,  and  what  if  they  should  kid- 
nap  him  too  ! 

"Stop!'    he   yelled. 

The  men  now  were  not  so  smiling,  for  they  were  tired  of  the 
game.  They  again  stopped,  and  began  to  jabber  away  at  Rick 
like  parrots.  He  in  his  turn  was  thoroughly  vexed,  and  was  spitting 
out  his  anger  at  them.  He  began  to  doubt  whether  it  would  be  so 
easy  to  get  through  Japan  if  all  the  people  were  such  boors  as  these, 
and  how  he  longed  for  Uncle  Nat.  A  crowd  had  now  collected, 
and   things  looked   squall j^. 

In  the  mean  time.  Uncle  Nat  and  the  doctor  had  returned  to  the 
hotel  and  there  were  inquiries  at  once  made  for  the  missing  Rick. 
A  servant  reported  that  Rick  had  been  seen  in  a  jinrikisha  moving 
off   from    the    hotel-door. 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  TOKIYO.  127 

*'  Moving  off  ? "  repeated  Uncle  Nat.     "  I  guess  it  is  time  for  me  to- 
move    off   also,   and   hunt  up    that  young   traveller." 

The  doctor  offered  to  accompany  him.  They  hunted  and  hunted 
but  in  vain.  At  last,  they  saw  in  the  street  a  crowd,  and  in  the 
midst  of  this,  was  the  lost  Rick,  screaming  away  at  his  runners,  they 
Ifeartily  screaming  back. 

"  Ship  ahoy ! "  shouted  Uncle  Nat  making  his  way  through  the 
crowd.  Glad  enough  was  Rick  to  bring  his  independent  travels  in 
Japan  to  an  end  and  return  to  the  hotel  with  Uncle  Nat.  He 
tried  to  tell  his  uncle  how  it  had  happened,  but  Uncle  Nat  was 
greatly  puzzled   to  understand  the    course    of    his    remarks. 

''  Look  here,  young  man,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  "  the  next  time  you  want 
to  make  a  trip,  you  had  better  know  just  where  you  are  going,  how 
you  are  going,  and  if  you  don't  get  there,  whether  you  can  get  back." 

Rick   thought    so    too. 

The  next  day  they  all  went  to  a  noted  spot   in  Tokiyo,  Asakusa. 

"  Why  it  looks  like  Boston  Common  on  the  Fourth  of  July,"  said 
Ralph.  They  had  reached  rows  of  booths  making  a  showy  display 
of  goods.  There  were  shops  too  for  the  sale  of  toys,  of  ladies'  hair  pins, 
and  smokers'  comforts.  Then  came  booths  where  one  could  buy  little 
idols  or  amulet  bags  or  incense  burners.  This  showed  they  were 
nearing  the  more  sacred  part  of  Asakusa.  When  they  reached  the 
temple,  they  found  a  motley  collection  of  idols,  some  of  the  figures 
being  hideous.  There  were  gardens  too  in  which  gre^"  the  azalea, 
camellia,  lotus  and  chrysanthemum. 

Everywhere  were  people.  Some  were  trading  at  the  tobacco  booths, 
or  drinking  out  of  little  cups  at  the  tea-booths.  There  were  men 
saying  their  prayers  before  the  temple-shrines,  and  robed  priests 
were  bowing  in  their  services.  It  was  a  queer  mixture  to  the  boys, 
"  a  great  gala  day,"  as  Ralph  said,  "  and  some  praying  thrown  in." 


128 


ALL  ABOARD  J  OK  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


''  Oh,  see  that," 
exclaimed  Rick. 

Before  Binzuru,  a 
medicine-deity,  was  a 
girl  who  nibbed  a  leg 
of  the  god  and  then 
her  own. 

"That  means," 
said  the  doctor,  "  that 
she  has  hurt  her  leg, 
and  is  transferrin":  vir- 
tue  from  the  god  to 
her  limb.  For  gen- 
erations they  have 
rubbed  the  poor  god 
so  much  that  his  face 
is  decidedly  worn. 
Nose  and  ears,  you 
see,    have    all    gone." 

The  travellers  that 
day  saw  also  Shiba, 
a  collection  of  tem- 
ples and  tombs.  In 
Shiba  sleep  some  of 
the  old  Japanese  sho- 
guns  or  military  rulers : 
a  famous  resting-place 
of  the  dead. 

That  night    the    doctor    showed    the    boys  a    picture  of    the  god  of 
Longevity 


A    SINTUU    GOIJ  —  TUK   l,UD    OF    LONGEVITY. 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  TOKIYO. 


131 


''You  see  he  is  riding  contentedly  on  a  stork,  and  the  stork  is 
very  calmly  sailing  above  a  flood." 

"  I  should  think,  doctor,"  said  Ralph,  "  he  would  scare  the  life  out 
of  a  man,  rather  than  put  life  into  him." 


JAPANESE   SHOPS. 


CHAPTER    XII 


RICKS  PANS. 


T^ON'T  you  think,  doctor,  that  the  Japanese 
■'-^  people  are  funny,  to  have  s'o  many  fans  ?  " 
asked  Rick,  running  in  from  the  street. 

"  It  might  seem  so,  but  then  "  —  here  the 
doctor  looked  at  the  little  fellow  who  was  trying 
to  carry  a  quantity  of  fans  in  his  hand  —  "but 
then  somebody  else  seems  to  like  fans  also. 
Where  did  you  get  so  many?" 

"  Oh,  I  picked  'em  up  in  the  street.  Some  I 
bought,  you  know,  for  they  are  so  cheap.  I  am 
going  to  give  them  away  to  my  friends." 

Here  Rick  arranged  them  in  order,  as  shown 
in  the  illustration. 
"There,  that  first  one,  a  sort  of  half-round  one,  is  for  Aunt  Mary; 
the  next,  that  opens  and  shuts,  is  for  mother ;  the  round  one  is 
for  Nurse  Fennel,  and  those  three  others  are  for  my  three  cousins  —  Aunt 
Mary's  girls.  The  one  with  the  long  handle  is  Uncle  Thomas',  because 
—  because  he  has  short  arms,  but  a  long  neck,  and  has  some  way  to 
reach  up.  The  little  one  at  the  bottom  is  for  a  baby  in  the  nexi 
house." 

"But,  Rick,  you  have  not  disposed  of  all  the  fans." 


R/CK'S  FANS. 


^2>Z 


Rick  blushed.     He  had  kept  one  for  Amy  Clarendon,  if  he  ever  met 
that  beloved  object. 

"  Why,  doctor,"  said  Rick,  anxious  to  change  the  subject,  '•  I  saw  a 
man  giving  a  piece  of    money    to   a   beggar,    and 
he  put  it  on  a.  fan." 

"And  I  heard  of  a  poor  fellow  of  pretty  high 
rank  who  was  sentenced  to    death,   and  his   fate 
announced  to  him  by  presenting  him  with  a  fan. 
There  are  all   sorts  of  fans,  as  you  will  find  out. 
The    other    day,  I  was   pretty  warm,   and  a  gen- 
tleman, at   whose   house    I   called,    handed    me    a 
fan  that  you    could    dip    in   water.     Its    material 
was   waterproof,    and  the    water  on  the  fan  as  it 
evaporated     would    cool 
the  breeze  it  wafted  upon        , 
vou.     You    will   find  all        ? 
kinds  of  pictures  on  fans,        } 
and  various    inscriptions,        ^ 
also.       Some     are     very 

pretty  and  ingenious.  A  great  man  may  stick 
his  autograph  on  a  fan.  Here  in  Tokiyo,  they 
make  some  elegant  fans." 

"Don't  you  think  Japanese  artists  are"  queer? 
I  mean,  they  have  an  odd  way  of  painting." 

"  It  seems  to  us  so.  Rick.  They  have  an  appre- 
ciative sense  of  what  is  funny ;  and  then,  they 
rather  enjoy  the  horrible.  It  is  worth  while  to 
notice  some  things  on  fans,  for  they  are  emblem- 
atic. You  are  apt  to  see  on  fans  the  bamboo  and 
sparrow,    or    the    willow  and  swallow,  and  these  are  signs  of  domestic 


»34 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


happiness.  As  for  the  matter  of 
emblems,  it  is  worth  while  to  no- 
tice those  on  all  kinds  of  articles. 
Sometimes,  certainly,  they  are  very 
significant  and  appropriate.  For 
instance :  AVhen  a  little  gown  is 
given  to  a  baby,  you  will  be  likely 
+0  see  on  it  the  pine-tree  and  stork. 
These  mean  long  life. 

"  The  stork  is  a  favorite  bird 
in  Japan;  and  when  it  comes  to 
art  they  love  to  reproduce  the 
bird,  with  his  long  legs  and  long 
bill." 

It  was  Ralph's  turn  the  next 
day  to  bring  in  something  curious, 
and  his  article  was  a  dwarf  tree, 
given  to  Uncle  Nat  by  a  -friend. 
It  was  growing  in  a  small  pot,  and 
for  a  pigmy,  it  looked  very  vig- 
orous.    . 

"  That  is  a  pine  tree,  Ralph." 

«A  pir.e?" 

"  Yes ;  the  Japanese  are  won- 
derful gardeners,  and  while  we  at 
home  like  to  see  how  big  a  flower 
we  can  get,  they  delight  most  in 
seeing  how  little  a  thing  they  can 
produce.  Tliey  like  to  raise  pines  only  a  few  inches  high.  And 
then,    they   like    to    bring    their    growing    things    into    all    kinds    of 


RICK'S  FANS.  135 

shapes.  You  may  see  a  vegetable  cat  staring  at  you  out  of 
the  evergreen  you  notice ;  or,  it  may  be  a  European  wearing  a 
hat,  and  wrought  out  of  the  same  material.  You  may  see  hens,  or  a 
rooster,  or  a  Japanese  junk  under  full  sail.  They  trim,  also,  the  larch 
in  this  way.  One  flower,  that  is  a  kind  of  national  blossom,  is  the 
chrysanthemum.  It  is  adopted  as  the  Emperor's  crest,  and  it 
appears  about  government  offices.  Flowers  are  exceedingly  popular, 
and  in  every  house  they  try  to  have  flowers  on  New  Year's  day. 
When  the  plum  blossoms  in  February  or  early  March,  the  cherry 
in  April,  the  lotus  in  July,  the  chrysanthemum  in  autumn,  and  the 
camellia  in  winter,  there  are  multitudes  of  admirers  ready  to  appreciate 
these  beauties.  With  certain  kinds  of  blooms  are  sure  to  come  excur- 
sions of  the  Japanese,  to  rejoice  over  them." 

Uncle  Nat  heard  the  conversation  between  the  doctor  and  his  nephew, 
and  pulling  out  his  pocket-book,  he  said :  "  Perhaps,  doctor,  you  will  be 
so  kind  as  to  tell  me  the  meaning  of  these  pictures,  which  I  found 
on  some  bank-bills." 

The  doctor  took  up  the  bills  and  remarked :  "  The  Japanese  are 
very  proud  of  their  history  and  love  to  preserve  it  in  their  sketches. 
Here  is  a  bank-bill  modeled  after  our  American  bank-bills,  and  this 
picture  has  an  interesting  story  connect<^d  with  it.  Over  five  hundred 
years  ago  Go  Daigo  was  emperor.  There  was  an  opposition  to  him, 
and  falling  before  it  be  was  sentenced  to  banishment.  On  his  way 
to  eKile,  a  young  nobleman,  Kojima  Takanori,  tried  to  rescue  his  sov- 
ereign ;  but,  mistaking  the  road,  he  and  his  followers  were  too  late  to 
accomplish  their  purpose.  His  followers  would  not  go  farther  with 
him,  but  he  determined  to  proceed  alone.  For  several  days  he  tried 
to  reach  the  sovereign's  side,  and  say  in  private  some  word  of  hope ; 
but  the  emperor  was  so  closely  guarded,  there  was  no  chance  to  bring 
this    about.     Kojima   then   thought   of   this    stratagem.     Stealing   into 


136 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


tlie  garden  connected  with  the 
quarters  where  the  emperor's  jail- 
ers were  passing  the  night,  Kojimn 
found  a  cherry  tree.  Scraping  ott' 
its  bark  he  wrote  on  the  white  sur- 
face inside  two  lines,  which,  trans- 
lated, mean : 

Oh  Heaven,  destroy  not  Kosen 
While  Hanrei  still  lives? 


1  "The  emperor's  guard    the    next 

^  morning  saw  the   scraped   tree  and 

^  the  characters  there,  and  wondered 

S  what  had  happened;    but  it  was  a 

y.  fortunate    thing    for    the    emperor 

a  that  thev  could  not  read  the  lines. 

a 

^'  They  showed  them  to  him,  and  he 
^  saw  the  meaning  at  once.  The 
=  reference  was  to  Kosen,  a  Chinese 
king,  who,  cast  down  from  his 
throne,  was  elevated  again  by  a 
faithful  vassal,  Hanrei.  The  signifi- 
cance of  it  was  at  once  appreci- 
ated, and  Go  Daigo  was  secretly 
comforted.  He  knew  that  he  could 
not  be  friendless  ;  and  Kojima  kept 
his  word,  afterwards  bravely  fight- 
nig  tor  liinii.  Here  is  another  bank-bill,  having  a  picture  of  a  famous 
archer,    whose   bow    the    efforts   of   four   men    could    not    bend.       The 


RICK'S  FANS.  137 

old  Japanese  archers  were  pretty  good  at  their  work,  doubtless;  but 
I  like  a  gun,  Ralph.  What  does  a  bow  amount  to  before  a  gun?' 
^'  Bow  before  gun  ?  Why,  it  finiounts  to  bow-gun,  doctor." 
At  the  doctor's  request  Ralph  repeated  these  lines,  inscribed  on  a 
fan,  written  by  Pan  Tsieh  Yu,  a  lady  of  the  Court,  presented  to  the 
Emperor  Cheng-ti,  of  the  Han  Dynasty  (Chinese)  B.  c.  18.  They  have 
been  translated  by  Dr.  Martin  : 

Of  fresh  new  silk,  all  snowy -white, 

And  round  as  harvest  moon, 
A  pledge  of  purity  and  love, 

A  small  but  welcome  boon. 

While  summer  lasts,  borne  in  the  hand 

Or  folded  on  the  breast, 
'Twill  gently  soothe  thy  burning  brow, 

And  charm  thee  to  thy  Vest. 

But  ah !  when  autumn  frosts  descend,  ^ 

And  autumn  winds  blow  cold. 
No  longer  souglit,  no  longer  loved, 

'Twill  lie  in  dust  and  mold. 

This  silken  fan,  then,  deign  accept, 

Sad  emblem  of  my  lot  — 
Caressed  and  cherished  for  an  hour. 

Then  speedily  forgot. 


CHAPTER    XIIT 


ABOUT  JAPANESE  RULERS. 


I.  Silk  Worm.  2.  Cocoon.  3.  Cliiysali: 

A   GOOD   FRIEND   TO    JAPAN 


I  .''OR  one  day,  at  least,  the 
-^      subject  of  fans  was  the 


4.   Molh. 


great  and  pressing  one  be- 
fore the  minds  of  Rogers 
Bros.  The  next  twenty- 
four  hours  there  was  some- 
thing else  to  engross  the 
boys'  attention.  They  soon 
found  out  that  the  children 
were  a  very  important  ele- 
ment in  Japan  life.  Rick  and  Ralph  came  hurrying  to  Uncle  Nat,  their 
cheeks  flusned  with  excitement. 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Nat,  what  do  you  suppose  we  saw  ? " 
"  I  don't   know ;  but  something  funny,  Rick,  I   don't  doubt." 
"  Yes ;  a  lot  of  boys  and  girls  round  a  man,  who  seemed  to  be  telling 
a  story,  for  he  kept  talking  away,  and  they  were  listening  and  laughing. 
And  what  do  you  suppose  he  did  ? " 

"  I  couldn't  guess,  I'm  sure ;  but  I'd  just  say  that  he  stood  on 
his  head." 

"He  —  he  —  went  round  getting  money;  and  I  rather  think  he 
stopped  in  the  middle  of  his  story  on'  purpose,  and  wouldn't  tell  the 
rest  unless  they  paid  him." 

138 


AB  O  UT  JAPANESE  R  ULERS. 


139 


"  Rick  is  probably  right  in  his  guess,"  said  Dr.  Walton,  "  for  that  is 
a  way  a  story-teller  may  have.  They  will  work  up  the  children  to  a 
hot  stage  of  interest,  and  then  will  not  cool  them  olf  until  the  cash 
comes  in.  The  Japanese  like  to  tell  stories,  and  the  children  like  to 
hear  them.  The  better  class  of  story-tellers  have  places  where  they 
narrate  their  stories,  and  charge  an  admission  fee.  I  remember  once 
1  was  travelling  in  the  country,  and  as  I  passed  by  an  open  door  I 
heard  voices.     As  I  looked  in  1  saw  a  man,  who,  1  think,  was  a    father 


sitting  on  the  floor,  and  two  children  were  in  his  lap.  He  held  a  bowl 
in  his  hand,  and  while  one  of  the  children  was  pouring  something  into 
it,  he  seemed  to  be  telling  them  a  story;  laughing  away  as  he 
went  on.  There  are  some  funny  stories,  the  Japanese  story-tellers 
recite." 

''  Doctor,"  asked  Uncle  Nat,  "  does  not  Japanese  history  go  back  a 
long  way?     You  tell  us,  and  we  three  boys  will  Hsten." 


i40  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  The  Japanese  themselves  claim  a  credible  history  for  twenty-five 
hundred  years,  but  we  outsiders  get  into  the  fog  a  few  centuries  after 
Christ,  when  we  are  trying  to  deal  with  Japan's  histoi-y.  The  Japa- 
nese can  count  up  a  list  of  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  rulers, 
called  mikados.  Some  of  these  have  been  very  famous,  and  eight 
rulers,  by  the  way,  were  women.  There  was  an  empress,  Jingu  Kogo, 
who  became  famous,  though  she  was  not  formally  declared  the  sov- 
ereign of  Japan.     Japanese  mothers  have  shown  some  brave  qualities. 

'•  Yes,"  said  Rick,  "  I  met  some  this  morning,  and  they  looked  real 
pleasant." 

"  Jingu  Kogo,  I  imagine,  could  look  fierce  as  well  as  pleasant.  She 
conquered  Corea.  An  order  she  gave  her  soldiers  is  worth  remembering 
by  young  people  who  have  obstacles  in  life  to  meet :  '  Neither  despise  a 
few  enemies,  nor  fear  many."  It  was  her  son,  Ojin  Tenno,  who  did 
an  excellent  thing  when  he  sent  to  China  to  find  out  about  silk  ; 
obtaining,  also,  some  one  from  Corea  to  teach  his  people  concerning 
silk.  The  silk-worm  has  been  a  good  friend  to  Japan.  He  also  intro- 
duced Chinese  characters,  and  a  better  breed  of  horses.  If  I  gave  the 
long  string  of  queer  Japanese  names,  you  could  not  remember  about 
the  rulers ;  but  I  want  to  speak  of  one  way  Ojin  had  for  finding  out 
a  wrong-doer.  He  was  told  by  the  brother  of  his  prime  minister  that 
the  latter  was  plotting  against  the  government,  and  the  emperor  made 
the  informant  and  the  minister  both  run  their  arms  down  into  boiling 
water,  to  see  who  was  guilty.  It  is  said  that  the  brother  could  not 
stand   it,  and  was   therefore    judged  to  be  guilty,  and  was  executed." 

'•  When  w.ts  it  the  Koman  Catholics  came  to  Japan  ? "  asked 
Uncle   Nat. 

"  In  the  sixteenth  century  the  Romanists  came  to  Japan,  and  for  a  while 
they  prospered ;  but  Catholicism  was  almost  entirely  trampled  out  under 
the  bloody  foot  of  the  persecutor.     It   should  be   said,  though,  that  the 


AB  O  UT  JAPANESE'  H  ULERS.  1 43 

Japanese  had  had  some  reason  to  complain,  as  all  the  methods  for 
diffusing  Christianity  can  not  be  approved.  The  Japanese  showed  that 
they  could  torment  as  successfully  as  Western  persecutors.  Nobl}-, 
though,  did  Christian  converts  prove  their  sincerity.  Some  were  burned 
to  death.  Thousands  were  thrown  down  from  the  rock  of  Pappenberg, 
in  Nagasaki  harbor.  Cheerfull}'  did  they  let  their  persecutors  hurl  them 
into  pits,  there  to  be  buried  alive.  Tlie  government  for  many,  many 
years  prohibited  Christianity.  All  over  Japan  was  set  up  the  kosatsu, 
or  edict-board,  forbidding  the  religion  of  Christ.  I  have  seen  a  famous 
one  near  Nihon  Bashi.  It  plainly  said :  '  The  evil  sect  called  Christian 
is  strictly  prohibited.'  That'  day,  though,  has  passed  away.  You  will 
ask  how  it  is  that  the  hated  foreigners  have  been  allowed  to  come  again 
in  such  numbers,  bringing  their  hated  religion. 

'*  The  Dutch  for  a  long  time  previous  to  this  century  had  certain 
privileges  of  trade  allowed  them.  In  1853,  our  Commodore  Perry 
came  here  with  several  bull-dogs  or  war-ships,  treating  amicabl}^  with 
Japan,  and  yet  the  Japanese  saw  that  the  bull-dogs  could  growl,  if 
necessary.  Japan  now  agreed  to  open  some  of  its  ports  to  foreign 
trade.  Foreign  nations  pressed  closer  upon  Japan,  Americans,  English, 
Russians,  French  and  Dutch  treating  with  Sunrise  Land.  In  1868 
came  a  civil  war  in  Japan.  For  six  hundred  years  a  set  of  military 
rulers  called  shoguns  were  in  existence.  They  lived  at  Yedo,  as  Tokiyo 
was  formerly  called,  and  though  inferior  to  the  emperor,  yet  they  had 
such  a  military  power  in  Japan  that  the  mikado  must  oftentimes  have 
been  a  kind  of  big,  invisible,  shut-up  nobody  at  Kiyoto,  the  other  capital 
and  Japan's  sacred  city.  The  shogun  or  tycoon,  as  he  has  been 
called,  had  been  signing  foreign  treaties,  and  not  the  mikado ;  and 
dissatisfaction  followed  such  abuse  of  privilege.  People  cried  :  '  Honor 
the  mikado,  and  expel  the  barbarian  ! '  At  last,  war  broke  out  between 
mikado   and  shogun.     The  result  w^s  that   the  mikado   came    to   the 


144  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

top  of  the  heap,  his  rightful  place ;  and  to  Yedo,  whose  name  became 
Tokiyo  as  a  part  of  the  change,  he  went,  as  Japan's  lawful  ruler.  But 
now,  what  did  the  mikado  party  do  but  espouse  the  cause  of  the '  bar- 
barian ; '  and  lo,  the  new  Japan  !  There  were  men  wise  enough  to  see 
what  was  best,  and  seeing,  obeyed  their  convictions.  Foreign  ideas 
are  making  Japan  over ;  and  among  these  ideas  is  the  blessed  religion 
of  our  Saviour." 

"  Rick,"  whispered  Ralph. 

The  youngest  of  the  "  three  boys "  had  gone  to  sleep  over  the 
history  of  Japan,  and  Ralph  gently  punched  him.  Rick  rubbed  his 
eyes,  then  opened  them. 

"  Rick,  the  doctor  knows  a  lot  about  Japan.  Let's  get  him  to  tell 
a  Japanese  story,"  whispered  Ralph. 

A  story !     Rick  was  wide-awake  at  once. 

"  Doctor,  can't  you  tell  us  a  story  like  what  the  Japanese  story- 
tellers tell?" 

"  Ha,  ha,  Ralph !  Do  you  want  me  to  mount  a  chair,  and  begin 
in  style  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes." 

"And  pass  a  hat?" 

The  boys  who  had  spent  all  the  money  allowed  for  that  day, 
looked  aghast.     A  thought  helped  Ralph  out  of  his  corner. 

"  Pass  it  for  the  benefit  of  two  penniless  boys  from  Concord !  Oh 
yes,  doctor." 

"  We  will  compromise,  Ralph,  and  not  pass  any.  A  story !  What 
shall  it  be  ?  Whew !  my !  "  —  The  doctor  had  here  pulled  out  his 
watch.  —  "Boys,  my  time  is  up,  I  am  sorry  to  say.  I  will  tell  y<>" 
a  story  to-morrow,  for  an  engagement  takes  me  off  now." 


THE   LAbl    OK  THE   TVCOONS 


Ns 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


JAPANESE    TEMPLE AND   A    STORY. 


T 


^HE  doctor  took  Uncle  Nat  and  his  nephews 
off  into  the  country  for  a  pleasure-trip,  the 
next  day. 

The  boys  had  passed  a  number  of  gateways, 
around  which  were  clustered  arching  trees,  and 
they  noticed  that  these  gateways  were  approaches  to 
certain  buildings  beyond,  whatever  their  character 
might  be.  They  were  entirely  willing  to  have  the 
jinrikishas  halt  at  such  a  gateway,  that  a  live  boy's 
curiosity  might  be  gratified.  Alighting  from  the  jinrikishas,  the 
boys  shook  the  sleepy  feeling  out  of  their  legs,  and  then 
looked  eagerly  about  them.  They  saw  two  columns  of  stone,  thirty 
feet  high,  and  from  one  to  the  other  went  cross-beams.  In  the  centre 
of  these  was  a  tablet,  bearing  an  inscription.  Before  the  gateway  was 
a  structure  like  an  arched  bridge,  and  two  Japanese  stood  upon  it 
talking  busily,  their  heads  bare  to  the  sun's  rays  that  fell  in  clear, 
shining  light.  There  was  a  grove  of  trees  beyond  the  gateway,  and 
through  the  foliage  the  outlines  of  a  temple  could  be  obscurely  traced. 
''  There,"  said  the  doctor,  ^'  the  Japanese  like  to  notice  and  beautify 
prominent  places  in  nature  by  a  Torii  or  Sacred  Gate.  It  is  touching 
to  see  the  religious  spirit  of  the  people   mixed  up  with  a  good   deal 

M7 


i4rf  ALL  AJWAA'J)  L'OR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

that  is  irreverent,  superstitious  and   idolatrous.     They  are   not  a   rich 
people ;  and  yet  they  have  lavished  many  gifts  on  their  temples. 

"  See  those  poles  running  through  the  trees  before  the  gateway  I  On 
festival  days,  you  will  see  flags  and  mottoes  flapping  from  those  poles, 
and  wreaths,  also.  The  little  houses  you  notice  are  occupied  by  priests. 
When  the  priest  is  wanted,  he  comes  out,  hears  the  business  of  his  caller, 
and,  careful  to  receive  his  fee,  gives  the  help  that  may  be  needed.  If 
his  prayers  are  wanted,  and  if  it  be  a  Buddhist  temple,  he  may  turn 
to  a  prayer-wheel,  and  set  that  to  revolving. 

"  It  is  well  to  notice  the  accompaniments  of  a  temple.  Near  it  is  a 
vat,  where,  with  holy  water,  worshippers  may  purify  themselves.  You 
can  find,  also,  in  the  neighborhood,  a  cup  of  tea  or  sak^  ;  and  conven- 
iences for  lighting  your  pipe,  if  you  are  a  smoker.  On  great  days 
you  would  think  you  had  come  to  a  show." 

When  they  had  taken  dinner,  on  their  return  from  this  trip,  the 
boys  reminded  the  doctor  about  the  promised  story,  and  he  began 
immediately : 

"  Well,  once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  man,  and  the  man  had  a  wife. 
The  man  was  very  absent-minded,  and  so  forgot  himself  at  times  as  to 
cut  up  very  queer  capers.  His  wife  wanted  him  to  go  to  a  certain 
temple,  and  beg  a  favor  of  the  god ;  and  like  a  good,  obedient  husband, 
he  promised  to  go.  Of  course  he  must  take  an  offering  to  the  god. 
Gods  can't  be  expected  to  do  things  for  nothing,  especially  when  they 
are  made  of  wood,  paper  and  paint.  I  think  3'ou  would  have  to  do 
considerable  for  such  a  god,  to  get  anything  in  return.  The  woman  was 
thinking  what  to  send.  Under  the  floor  of  her  house  was  a  jar,  and 
in  the  jar  was  a  rush-bag,  and  in  the  rush-bag  was  some  coin.  She 
took  out  a  hundred  cash  and  set  it  aside  with  a  lunch-box  for  her 
husband.  In  the  morning,  what  did  the  absent-minded  booby  do  but 
leave  the  lunch-box  and   take,  instead,  what  they  call   a  pillow :    a  set 


JAPANESE  TEMPLE— AND  A  STORY.  151 

of  drawers  containing  things  for  a  woman's  toilet  —  her  hair-pins,  and 
so  on.     Off  he  started  ! 

"  On  his  way  to  the  temple,  thinking  the  matter  over,  he  concluded  it 
would  not  be  necessary  to  get  from  the  god  a  blessing  worth  a  hundred 
cash,  but  a  ten-cash  blessing  would  do,  and  the  ninety  cash  he  could 
have  for  a  bottle  of  liquor  and  a  jolly  time  after  his  temple  visit !  So 
he  made  two  piles  of  the  money  —  a  ten-cash  pile  and  a  ninety-cash  pile 
—  intending  to  give  the  god  the  smaller  heap.  But,  absent-minded  as 
usual,  he  threw  into  the  treasury  of  the  god  the  ninety-cash  heap  !  He 
felt  like  gnashing  his  teeth,  when  he  found  out  his  mistake.  There 
was  no  help  for  it,  though,  as  the  god  never  rectified  any  such  mistake 
as  that,  but  grabbed  all  he  could  get.  There  was  one  consolation, 
though,  for  the  man,  as  he  thought.  There  was  the  lunch  that  his 
dear,  dutiful  spouse  had  fixed  for  him,  and  he  could  enjoy  that ;  but 
to  his  amazement  when  he  opened  the  package,  he  saw  hair-pins,  hair 
oil  and  the  like ;  but  there  was  nothing  he  could  eat !  However, 
there  was  the  ten-cash  pile,  and  was  he  not  a  lucky  man  to  keep  a 
little  money  for  himself  ?  He  resolved  to  go  to  a  cake-shop  and  buy 
something  to  eat. 

"He  saw  there  a  large,  round  object,  which,  in  his  absent-minded- 
ness, he  thought  would  make  him  a  lunch ;  and  he  bought  it  for 
five  cash.  This  was  a  fine  opportunity ;  and  so  cheap  !  He  thought 
the  shop-girl  must  have  made  a  mistake.  Fearful  that  she  might 
discover  it  and  want  to  rectify  it,  he  posted  off.  I  dare  say  he 
Imrried  away  to  so  good  a  distance  that  iie  could  not  easily  re- 
turn to  mend  the  matter.  He  finally  stuck  his  teeth  into  the 
magnificent  purchase,  or  at  least  endeavored  to  do  so,  but  found 
it  was  plaster  of  Paris  —  something  made  merely  for  show  and  to 
attract  custom,  probably  !  He  felt  mad  enough.  It  was  dark  when 
he     reached     his    house,    as     he     supposed,    and     he     was     hungry 


'52 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


and  sore  and  tart.  He  was  absent-minded,  as  usual,  and  it 
was  not  his  house  really,  and  it  was  not  his  wife,  also,  that 
he  saw  lighting  a  lantern.  But  he  tiiought  it  was  his  wife ; 
and,  mad  and  hungry,  he  went  up  to  her  and  soundly  cuffed  his 
supposed  spouse  on  the  ear !  He  must  have  satisfaction  out  of 
something,  you  know.  She  screamed,  and  out  came  the  true  hus- 
band, and  away  went  our  booby, 
about  running  his  legs  off  to 
get  away !  When  he  reached 
his  own  home,  he  forgot  him- 
self again  !  His  wife  appear- 
ing, he  went  up  to  her  and 
begged  her  pardon  for  cuffing 
her   ears ! " 

The  boys  thought  this  was 
capital. 

"  Why,  I  suppose  the  poor 
man  was  so  hungry  he  did  not 
know  what  he  was  about,  when 
he  acted  so  !  "  said  Ralph. 

"No   doubt    he    was    hungry 
enough,  and  he  seemed  to  have 
tried  hard   to  get  something   to 
eat;  but  he   was  about   as  suc- 
cessful as  the  three  dogs  in  this 
picture   which    I    have.     There 
was  food  on  a  shelf,  and  that  they  well  knew  ;   but   a   cat   and    two 
kittens  had  got  ahead  of  them,  and  only  mocked  at  their  frantic  efforts 
to  reach  the  shelf   and  rout  the  invaders,"  replied  the  doctor. 
"Oh  — h— h!"  said   Rick. 


CHAPTER    XV 


CHILDREN     AND     CHILDREN  S    SPORTS. 


R 


ALPH  and  Rick  were 
exceedingly  interested 
in     the     child-element     of 
life    in  Japan,  and  wished 
they  could  see  a  Japanese 
school.      The  doctor    drew 
some    papers    out    of    his 
^    pocket,    and    from    among 
them    produced    a  picture : 
"  This  represents  an  old- 
time    school ;    and    yet  not 
so  very  old,  as  the  change 
has      come      so      recently 
Look   at   this   picture !     You   see   the   teacher   and  scholars  are  squat 
upon   the   floor,   and    the    teacher  has    laid  his    book   on   a    book-rest. 
There   are  the  scholars  scattered  about. 

''  You  notice  the  heads  of  the  boys,  —  the  hair  shaven  oft*, 
•excepting  a  tuft  over  the  forehead  and  over  each  ear.  There  is 
a  child  wearing  about  its  waist  the  girdle,  or  obi.  You  see  tjie 
children's  sandals  on  the  floor.  One  boy  is  wearing  a  foot-mitten 
that  has  a  separate  place  for  the  great  toe,  as  a  hand-mitten  has 
for  the  thumb.  There  is  another  boy  who  seems  to  wear  foot- 
mittens.     Among  those    scholars  some  confusion  has   been  introduced. 

153 


A    DOLL   MAKER. 


154  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISJi  LANDS. 

A  forward  scholar  is  pulling  by  the  tail  a  four-legged  visitor.  —  In 
Japan,  a  cat  with  a  tail  is  considered  a  curiosity.  —  This  amusement 
provokes  a  good  deal  of  attention  and  also  attracts  the  master's 
stout  ruler.  In  an  old-time  school  they  would  learn  the  Japanese 
signs,  and  after  a  while  would,  with  a  brush  and  Chinese  ink, 
make  words,  finally  trying  their  hand  at  sentences.  Some  idea  of 
drawing  was  acquired.  The  boys  were  taught  to  write  Chinese 
characters,  and  knew  something  of  the  Chinese  classics.  Among; 
other  things,  girls  were  required  to  be  able  to  say  a  verse  from 
each  one  of  a  hundred  poets.  Nowadays,  the  children  are  perched  on. 
benches  before  desks,  and  you  will  see  them  using  slate  and  pencil,, 
and  you  may  find  some  American  school-books  on  geography  and 
other  branches.  The  teacher  chalks  away  at  a  blackboard ;  map& 
hang  on  the  walls,  and  modern  ideas  are  fast  establishing  them- 
selves. It  was  told  me  that  there  are  between  five  and  six  millions 
in  Japan  of  a  school-age ;  and  that  one-half  of  these,  probably,  are 
in  school.  Among  the  teachers  there  are  many  ladies  at  work.  At 
one  time,  I  know,  they  numbered  eight  hundred,  and  probably  there 
are   more  now." 

"  That  will  fix  woman's  position  in  JapUn,"  said  Uncle  Nat.  "  She 
has  been  an  inferior  being  here,  kept  under  by  the  masculine  will  ;. 
biTt  where  the  teachers  of  a  nation  are  mostly  women,  woman  will 
have  her  deserts,  sooner  or  later." 

"  Woman's  Rights ! "  whispered  the  doctor  to  the  boys. 

"  Call  it  what  you  please,"  replied  Uncle  Nat,  reddening  good- 
naturedly  over  a  favorite  subject.  ''  It  is  only  the  fair  thing  for 
woman  that  I  demand ;   '  equal    rights,'   and  notliing  more." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Rick,  who  was  a  very  aged  champion  of  the  fair 
sex.  "  Oh  doctor,  didn't  I  hear  you  say  that  some  of  the  scholars  wore 
swords  to  school  once?" 


CHILDREN  AND  CHILDREN'S  SPORTS. 


^55 


[^,\4  "I'Mii'iii'i- 


"Yes;  to  wear  two  swords  was  the  privi- 
lege of  a  class  called  samurai,  who  were  both 
soldiers  and  scholars.  These  gentlemen  were 
very  ugly  about  bowing  to  foreign  ideas, 
bat  they  came  under  at  last.  There  are 
many  in  the  police  force,  and  they  make 
good  officers." 

"Oh  Uncle  Nat,"  said  Ralph,  "Rick  and 
I  have  seen  such  heaps  of  children  in  the 
streets ;  and  there  are  people  who  get  their 
living  by  pleasing  the  —  " 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Nat,"  eagerly  interrupted 
Rick,  leaving  Uncle  Nat  to  guess  the  con- 
clusion of  Ralph's  remark  ;  "  we  saAV  a  man 
telling  stories;  another,  who  would  take  a 
sort  of  paste,  and  he'd  make  it  up  into 
all  sorts  of  fimny  toys,  and  then  we  saw  a 
man  eat    fire-balls  —  and,  and  —  " 

Rick  was  out  of  breath,  and  Ralph  came 
to  the  rescue. 

"  And  we  saw,  Uncle  Nat,  a  doll  maker. 
He  was  sitting  squat  on  the  ground,  his 
head  shaved  a  good  deal,  and  he  had  that 
funny  topknot,  you  know ;  in  his  hand  was 
a  doll  he  was  making,  and  he  did  not  seem 
to  notice  us  one  bit." 

"  You   would   be    n^ich   interested,    boys," 
said  the  doctor,  who   was   present,    "  in   the   Feast   of    Dolls.      At   a 
daughter's  birth,  dolls  are  given  her,  and  these  the  mother  keeps  very 
choice ;    and   then  at   the  Feast    of    Dolls   they   are    brought    out   and 


.156  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

exhibited.  They  are  nicely  dressed.  There  are  other  toys  made  to 
imitate  cooking  apparatus  or  toilet  articles  that  a  lady  might  need. 
In  this  assortment  of  mementoes  you  will  find  dolls  representing  the 
emperor  and  court-personages.  The  celebration  includes  a  feast,  and 
there  is  a  happy  time,  all  rejoicing.  Dolls  may  be  kept  from  one 
generation  to  another.  They  are  as  diminutive  as  a  few  inches,  and 
"then  they  are  two  and  a  half  feet  high.  The  week  before  the  feast 
i-here  is  a    great  trade  in  dolls  here  in  Tokiyo." 

"  You  ought  to  see  the  girls  play  battledoor  and  shuttlecock,"  said 
Hick. 

*'  And  you  ought  to  see  the  boys  spin  tops  and  liy  kites  !  "  exclaimed 
Ralph. 

"  Japanese  boys  love  kites,"  said  the  doctor.  "  TJie  frame  is  of 
bamboo,  and  strong  paper  is  pasted  over  it.  Many  are  rectangular, 
some  I  have  seen  being  five  feet  square ,  and  indeed  they  are  of  all 
shapes,  and  are  made  to  resemble  birds  sometimes,  or  men,  or  animals ; 
and  on  some  there  are  pictures.  Across  the  top  is  a  very  thin  strip 
•of  whalebone,   which  makes  a  musical  hum   in  the   wind." 

"  Oh  yes,"  said  Rick,  "I  —  I  —  I  heard  the  humming  overhead  and 
■could  not  make  it  out,  at  first." 

"  The  boys,"  said  the  doctor,  "  sometimes  have  kite-fights.  They 
glue  pounded  glass  to  the  string  below  the  kite-frame,  and  then  crossing 
strings  they  will  make  one  saw  through  another.  The  kite  that  falls 
goes  to  the  other  side  as  victor.  The  boys,  too,  have  a  good  deal  of 
fun  and  exercise  on  long  stilts.  I  know  you  would  enjoy,  boys,  the 
Feast  of  Flags  ;  for  the  day  brings  its  games  and  toys.  You  will  see 
figures  of  heroes,  soldiers,  wrestlers,  or  a  daimiyo's  procession.  In- 
doors they  have  a  merry  time,  and  »out-doors  they  hang  from  a 
bamboo  pole  a  large  paper  fish  that  the  wind  fills  and  buoys  up.  Some- 
times the  fish  is  six  feet  long  and  even  more,  and  is  a  sure  sign  that 


CHILDREN  AND  CHILDREN S  SPORTS.  157- 

there  is  a  boy  in  the  house  displaying  it.  It  is  the  carp  that  is  put  to 
this  use  ;  for  this  fish,  good  for  making  headway  against  a  stream  and 
jumping  waterfalls,  reminds  the  boys  that  before  difficulties  they  must 
do  likewise.  When  snow  comes  the  boys  are  sure  to  improve  it. 
They  roll  up  funny  images  of  an  old  character  called  Daruma,  who' 
was  a  follower  of  Buddha.  He  spent  so  much  time  squat  in  religious 
meditation  that  he  lost  the  use  of  his  legs,  and  couldn't  go  when  hc' 
wanted  to.  You  will  see  his  image  in  some  of  the  shops,  and  he  is- 
a  character  the  boys  like  to  set  up.  In  this  picture  I  have  here  there 
is  a  snow-man,  and  it  is  Daruma,  probably.'  One  of  the  players  has- 
been    knocked    over  by  a  missile,  and  it  seems  to  amuse   the  others." 

"  The  Japanese  young  people  seem  to  be  of  a  pretty  good  sort," 
said  Ralph. 

"  Well,  they  have  human  nature  here  in  Japan  same  as  elsewhere. 
It  has  been  said  that  the  Japanese  children  are  more  obedient  to  parents 
than  American  children  are,  but  I  think  you  will  find  a  good  quantity 
of  self-will  and  human  nature  in  young  Japan." 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments. 


^\^^'^>^, 

\^^\^ 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


A   SHORT   TRIP. 


'T^HE  doctor  finished  his  story,  and  then  Uncle  Nat  informed  the 
-*-     boys  that  lie  had  planned  for  a  short  trip  out  of  the  city. 

One  interesting  spot  they  visited  was  a  Japanese  cemetery. 

"  The  Japanese  pay  much  attention  to  the  resting-places  of  their 
dead,"  remarked  the  doctor.  "  They  are  neat,  and  they  try  to  make 
them  beautiful,  also.     Here  come  some  women." 

These,  as  the  doctor  spoke,  came  forward,  and  taking  old  bouquets 
out  of  bamboo  flower-holders  on  the  pedestals  of  the  tombs,  put  fresh 
ones  in  their  places.  The  monuments  in  the  cemetery  were  of  various 
shapes      Some  were  simply  square  stone  pillars,  and  others  egg-shaped. 

'•  Don't  they  sometimes  burn  their  dead  bodies  ? "  asked  Uncle  Nat. 

''  Yes  ;  what  we  term  cremation  is  often  practiced,  and  is  the  most 
common  way  of  disposing  of  the  dead.  Afterwards,  their  ashes  are 
collected,  deposited  in  an  urn,  and  this  is  placed  in  the  cemetery,  and 
a  stone  erected  above,"  replied  the  doctor. 

'•  And    do   people    have   a   new    name  given    them    after    death  ? " 

asked  Ralph  ;    "  I  have  read  so." 

158 


inii;iiiiiii!!iiljp!l|l|||!ll\! 


A  SHORT  TRIP.  i6i 

"  Yes ;  on  those  stones  are  the  names  now  bestowed  upon  the  dead." 

Uncle  Nat  was  silent,  but  thought  of  the  passage  in  Revelation, 
where  it  says :  "  To  him  that  overcometh,  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the 
hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a 
new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth,  saving  he  that  re- 
ceiveth    it." 

As  the  party  pushed  on  still  farther,  their  attention  was  often 
called  to  some  novel  feature.  People  were  pursuing  their  trades, 
working   in  tlieir  gardens    or    shops. 

"And  that  is  the  sign  of  a  barber,"  said  Uncle  Nat  to  his  nephews, 
pointing  in  the  direction  of  a  certain  shop. 

"  See,"  exclaimed  Ralph,  ''the  barber  shaves  the  head  of  his  customer, 
and  it  is  a  little  boy." 

The  boys,  according  to  the  old  Japanese  custom,  must  have  their 
heads  wholly  shaved  for  three  years  after  birth.  Then,  three  tufts 
of  hair  are  permitted  to  grow ;  one  at  the  back  of  the  neck,  or  on 
the  top  of  the  back  of  the  head,  and  one  above  each  ear.  At  ten, 
they  only  shave  the  crown,  and  the  boy  wears  a  forelock.  At  fifteen, 
a  boy  is  supposed  to  take  on  the  burdens  of  manhood,  and  he  may  let 
his  hair  grow  like  a  man's.  That  is  the  old  Japanese  style ;  but  now- 
adays boys,  especiall}^  in  the  larger  cities,  are  beginning  to  wear 
their  hair  in    European  style,  and  some    of   the  men  also. 

The  noon  of  that  very  day,  Uncle  Nat  said  to  his  nephews,  "  Do  you 
want  to  start  for  Australia  to-morrow  ?  You  see  we  must  be  going 
soon,   for  my  ship  will   be  waiting  for  me   at   Kobe." 

Both  the  boys'  faces  began  to  fall ;  but  '■'•  ship "  is  an  object 
that  will  revive  a  lively  lad's  drooping  spirits,  and  this  was  the  object 
reconciling  Rogers  brothers  to  a  journey  away  from  Sunrise  Land. 

"  You  see  we  take  the  big  national  road,  the  Tokaido,  leading  off 
into    the    country,    and  connecting    Tokiyo  with  the  ancient   capital, 


i62  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

Kiyoto.  Thence  we  journey  to  Osaka.  We  finally  reacn  Kobe,  and 
there  we  take  the  finest  ship  out,  the  'Antelope.  And  now  I  have 
special  news.  Guess  — guess,  if  you  can,  who  is  going  with  us  to 
Australia !  " 

The  boys  made  all  sorts  of  wild,  reckless  guesses,  but  Uncle  Nat  said : 

"  You  are  wrong  every  time ;   for  it  is  Dr.  Walton ! " 

"  Dr.  Walton  !  "  they  screamed. 

"  Yes ;  for  some  time  he  has  been  thinking  of  a  return  to  America, 
and  has  concluded  to  go  by  way  of  Australia,  a  country  he  was  never 
in.     So  he  travels  per  Anteloiier 

"  Good,  good,  good  !  "  shouted  Rick. 

"  Better,  better,  better !  "  shouted  Ralph ;  and  Uncle  Nat  not  to  be 
outdone,  said  "  Best,  best,  best !  " 

The  boys  thought  the  event  ought  to  be  celebrated. 

"And  how  can  we  celebrate?"  asked  Rick. 

"  Let's  get  the  doctor  to  tell  a  story,  for  that's  the  best  celebration," 
suggested  Ralph  ;  and  they  hunted  up  the  doctor  at  once. 

"  Ha,  boys,  you  have  me  there,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Well,  I'll  give 
you  a  short  story,  one  about  a  Japanese  judge  that  the  people  think 
highly  of,  and  a  book  has  been  written   about  him  : 

"  There  was  once  a  young  mother  who  had  a  little  daughter.  The 
mother  was  very  straightened  in  her  means,  and  was  obliged  to  go 
away  from  home  to  work ;  and  in  the  meantime  she  left  her  child  in 
the  care  of  another  wom.m.  By  and  by  the  mother  was  able  to  return 
home,  and  she  did  so  joyfully,  expecting  to  have  her  child  back  again, 
and  be  hers  all  the  time.  But  what  did  the  other  woman  do  but 
refuse  to  relinquish  her,  claiming  hor  as  her  own  child !  The  true 
mother  was  heart-stricken,  and  took  her  case  to  Judge  Oka ;  but  what 
could  he  do  about  it  ?  Nobody  had  a  word  to  say,  excepting  these  two 
women,  and  their  testimony  butted  against  one  another  like  the  heads 


pumniiu:iiiii.iii)'ii 


^iiTKiJiSSiFiii^I^^ 


A   LONELY   MEAL   FOR    IHE   JAPANESE   MOIHER.  163 


A  SHORT  TRIP.  165 

of   two  enraged    animals.     At  last   the    judge    thought  of    this   plan: 

"  *  Each  of  you  take  hold  of  that  girl,'  I  imagine  him  saying.  '  Now 
pull !  Who  is  the  stronger  of  you  two  shall  have  her !  Pull !  Pull ! 
I  say !  ' 

"  Both  women  seized  the  girl,  but  the  true  mother  handled  her  child 
gently,  and  when  the  latter  cried  out,  on  account  of  the  pulling,  the 
true  mother  ceas«d,  not  being  willing  to  hurt  her  child.  The  other 
woman  had  been  straining  like  an  anaconda  on  an  ox.  The  friends  of 
the  mother  thought  she  had  better  pull  again,  and  the  lying  contestant 
defied  her  to  do  it ;  but  the  mother's  heart  said,  '  I  can't  pull  and 
hurt  my  child.'  Judge  Oka  saw  at  once  that  this  was  the  real  mother, 
and  gave  the  girl  to  her.  The  other  contestant  went  home,  probably 
looking  sour  as  a  pickle,  but  the  spectators  were  full  of  praise  for 
the  judge." 

"  I  am  glad,"  said  Kick  sympathizingly,  "  that  the  woman  got 
her  daughter,  or  there  would  have  been  many  a  lonely  meal  for 
the    poor   Japanese    mother." 

"  The  story,"  said  Ralph,  "  makes  you  think  of  what  Solomon  did 
with  the  two  mothers   claiming   the  same  baby." 

"So  it  does.  Stories,  like  folks,  may  travel  from  one  country  to 
another.  And  in  their  travels,  their  dress  may  be  changed  like  that 
of  the  new  people  they  happen  among." 

"  Oh    another   story  !  "    cried   Rick. 

"  Yes,   yes  !     Do,    please  !  "    added   Ralph. 

"  Doctor,    you    are    in   for   it." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  am,  Cap'n.  Well,  let  me  think !  Hum !  Let 
me  think !" 

He   sat   with  bowed   head   a   minute ;    then   raised   it. 

"  I  have  something  now.  Do  you  remember  about  our  American 
story  of   Rip    Van    Winkle  ? " 


i66  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  That   mossy   old   character  ? "     asked   Ralph. 

"Yes;  iind  they  have  a  man  as  old  and  mossy  in  Japanese 
stories.  What  makes  it  more  interesting  is  that  the  story  first 
came  over  from  China,  but  is  kept  up  by  Japanese  story-tellers ; 
so  that  China  and  Japan  both  have  a  Rip  Van  Winkle.  This  one's 
name  in  the  story  is  Lu  Wen.  He  was  a  wood-cutter,  and  back 
of  his  house  was  a  big  mountain,  on  whose  shaggy  sides  were  the 
woods  where  Lu  Wen  used  to  swing  his  axe;  and  many  a  pile 
he  hacked  out  for  the  big,  roaring  fires  on  the  cold  winter  days. 
One  day,  in  a  time  of  beautiful  weather,  he  had  gone  into  the 
woods  carrying  his  beloved  axe.  He  thought  he  knew  the  paths 
very  well,  but  this  time  he  lost  his  way  completely.  The  flowers, 
though,  were  beautiful  and  the  day  lovely,  and  as  his  poverty  did 
not  allow  him  to  indulge  in  many  romantic  walks,  probably  he 
rather  enjoyed  this  excursion  and  wandered  on.  Hark !  What  was 
it  he  heard  ?  Something  was  going  through  the  woods  and  step- 
ping on  the  twigs  of  the  bushes.  He  looked  again.  There  was 
a  fox.  You  will  find  out  that  the  fox  is  a  witchy  l^ind  of  being 
in  Japanese  opinion,  and  Lu  Wen  might  have  guessed  tliat  harm 
was  ahead.  If  he  had  only  been  one  of  the  famous  old-time 
archers  and  shot  the  fox  dead,  how  lucky!  The  fox  ran,  Lu  Wen 
following,  and  at  last  they  came  to  an  open  place  Avhere  Lu  Wen  wit- 
nessed a  sight  that  made  him  forget  the  fox  and  also  lose  his  senses  ; 
for  there  were  two  very  beautiful  ladies  squat  on  the  ground,  playing 
checkers.  How  handsome  they  were !  Lu  Wen  stared,  and  stared,  and 
stared,  the  ladies  not  seeming  to  notice  him  at  all  —  the  rogues ! 
'  What  a  nice  game  that  is,  and  I  wonder  who  will  beat  ? '  he  must 
have  said  to  himself.  He  kept  Avatching  the  play  and  the  players  also  ; 
but  he  finally  remembered  that  it  Avould  not  do  for  him  to  stay 
longer  —  especially,  you  know,    as   neither    of    the    beautiful   witches 


ONE  OF  THE  OI.D-TIME   ARCHERS. 


A  SHORT  TRIP.  169 

had  asked  hira  to  sit  down  and  have  a  g.tme  with  her.  As  he 
tried,  however,  to  go  away,  what  was  the  matter  with  his  legs  and 
with  his  hands?  He  felt  stiff:  all  over.  The  handle  of  his  axe 
suddenly  began  to  rot  and  crumble.  He  bent  to  pick  up  the  pieces, 
when,  to  his  surprise,  he  saw  dangling  from  his  once  shaven  chin, 
and  hanging  upon  his  bosom,  a  long  hoary  beard,  white  as  the 
snow  on  the  mountain  in  winter  !  What  had  happened  ?  He  dared 
not  think,  I  imagine,  but  concluded  that  he  would  go  home  —  a  safe 
place  to  retreat  to  in  trouble.  So  with  his  stiffened  limbs  he  went 
hobbling  along,  hobbling  along,  and  came  down  the  mountain  to 
the  neighborhood  that  had  been  his  home.  There  were  the  houses, 
but  a  new  set  of  people  was  in  them,  and  everybody  was  greatly 
exercised  over  this  strange  old  white-bearded,  hobbling  man.  The 
dogs  barked  at  him  and  the  children  poked  fun  at  Lu  Wen.  Lu 
Wen's  heart  sank  within  him.  Did  no  one  know  him  ?  He  asked 
about  his  family,  and  then  the  neighborhood  concluded  he  must 
surely  be  a  fool,  as  no  one  knew  anything  of  such  a  strange  family. 
By  and  by  up  tottered  a  venerable  lady  who  testified  that  away 
back  in  the  history  of  her  family  there  was  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Lu  Wen,  but  that  was  six  generations  before  her  day.  I 
seem  to  hear  her  say,  '  He  was  my  great,  great,  great,  great,  grand- 
father ! '  It  must  have  frightened  him  to  hear  the  old  lady,  for  he 
turned  away,  —  went  back  to  the  mountains,  —  and  was  never  heard 
of   again." 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


A    JINRIKISHA    JOURNEY. 


TT  was  a  fine  spring  morning  in 
■^  Japan,  and  four  jinrikishas  were 
all  moving  along  the  great  public 
road  running  from  Tokiyo,  the 
new  capital  of  Japan,  to  the  old 
capital,  Kiyoto.  There  was  a  jin- 
rikisha  for  each  traveller  ;  one  for 
Uncle  Nat,  a  second  for  Dr.  AYal- 
ton,  a  third  for  Ralph,  and  a  fourth 
for  Rick.     What  happy  boys! 

On  either  side  were  tall,  solemn 
old  pines  overshadowing  many 
homes,  and  in  the  distance  were 
the  glorious  heights  of  Fujisan, 
white  as  a  marble  w^atch-tower. 
The  travellers  were  often  passing 
people ;  the  same  strange,  yellow- 
skinned  men  and  w^omen,  some 
comfortably  and  others  poorly 
dressed,  and  they  were  walking  on 
clogs    about   two   or    three    inches 

high.     Little    boys   were    at    their   play.      Some   of   these    had   bare, 

170 


JAPANESE   WOMAN    AND   CHILD. 


KINDNESS  TO  THE   BIRDS. 


171 


A  JINRIKJSHA  JO  UKNE  Y.  1 73 

shilling  r'^^alps  bobbing  up  and  down  and  sporting  those  queer  little 
toi>knots    that   amused   Ralph   and   Rick  so   much. 

"  Oh,   see  ! "  called   out  Rick   to   Ralph. 

The  latter  looked  and  saw  several  white-robed  men  under  their 
broad  hats.  In  one  hand  they  carried  a  little  tinkling  bell,  and 
in    the   other    a   walking-stick. 

"  Who  are  those  men  ? "  called  out  Rick  to  the  doctor,  whose  jin- 
rikisha   was    quite   near. 

''  They  are  pilgrims,  bound  for  some  temple  ;  and  on  such  walking- 
sticks  I  have  seen  paper  prayers,  and  those  bells  jingle  and  sum- 
mon the  gods  to  notice  their  petition.  It  is  my  opinion  that 
those   gods    will  need   quite   an   arousing." 

They  soon  passed  temple-grounds,  and  the  doctor  promised  to  tell 
the  boys  about  such  places.  Sometimes  the  road  ran  through 
villages  and  towns,  and  then  it  stretched  through  the  open  country. 
Stopping  at  various  tea-houses  or  restaurants,  they  had  an  oppor- 
tunity for  several  lunches,  each  halt  attracting  a  throng  of  ambitious 
sight-seers.  Several  women  gazed  curiously  from  their  homes  at  the 
strangers.  One  of  these  female  inspectors  carried  a  child  upon  her 
back  —  a  common  fashion  in  Japan  —  and  the  tired  mother  looked 
as    if   she    would    be    very    glad   when   this    child    could   walk. 

"  What  makes  the  women  black  their  teeth  here  in  Japan, 
doctor  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  Ralph.  It  can't  be  because  it  makes  them  hand- 
some. I  only  know  that  in  some  regions  it  is  a  sign  of  marriage. 
Young  unmarried  women  may  do  it,  but  according  to  my  way  of 
thinking,  they  would  never  catch  a  husband  with  that  bait.  Married 
women  too  remove  their  eyebrows.  Female  customs,  though,  as  well 
as  male,  feel  the  influence  of  European  ideas.  The  empress  Haruko, 
I  know,  did  discourage  this  tooth-blacking,  eyebrow-shaving  custom." 


174  ALL  ABOARD  I'OR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  The  women  are  kind  to  the  birds,"  interrupted  Rick,  that  defender 
of  the  female  sex,  desirous  to  say  all  he  could  for  them. 

"  Oh  yes.  The  Japanese  are,  as  a  people,  kind  to  animals,"  replied 
the  doctor.  "  Many  Buddhists  are  in  Japan,  and  their  religion  empha- 
sizes kindness  to  animals." 

"  Buddhists  believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls ;  that  mankind 
after  death  may  pass  into  animal  kind,  do  they  not  ? "  asked  Uncle 
Nat. 

"Yes." 

"  Then  I  can  see  why  one  should  be  carefid  about  hurting  a  cow, 
lest  he  injure  some  old  ancestor." 

Ralph  and  Rick  were  anxious  to  see  the  inside  of  a  real  Japanese 
house;    one  that  had  not  been  invaded  by  any  foreign  ideas. 

"  There  is  a  house  with  an  open  door,"  suggested  the  doctor,  after 
a  lunch-halt.     "Let  us  go  there." 

The  four  jinrikishas  halted  at  the  open  door,  and  as  half  a  dozen 
bare-headed  children  came  rushing  out  of  tlie  house,  and  stared  at 
the  strangers,  the  latter  concluded  that  the  desire  for  sight-seeing  was 
mutual.  A  Japanese  woman  met  the  party,  and  smilingly  acceded 
to  the  doctor's  request  in  Japanese  for  a  look  inside. 

Before  entering  the  doctor  called  the  boys'  attention  to  the  way 
the   house   was    built   without. 

"  There,  you  see  this  is  a  pretty  light  affair.  The  frame  is  of  wood, 
and  while  in  Tokiyo  and  Yokohama  we  saw  many  roofs  that  were 
tiled,  this  one  is  of  straw-thatch.  Now  we  will  take  oif  our  boots 
and  shoes  —  that  is  the  custom,  you  know  —  and  step  inside." 

The  floor  was  covered  with  straw-matting,  and  the  walls  were  only 
partitions  of  paper,  and  there  were  paper  windows  with  paper  shut- 
ters. In  the  centre  of  the  floor  was  a  little  furnace  or  brazier,  filled 
with  glowing  charcoal,  on  which  was  a  tea-kettle  boiling  furiously. 


A  JINRIKISHA  JO  URNE  Y.  177 

"  Here,"  said  the  doctor,  "  the  cooking  is  done.  Sometimes  you 
will  see  a  fire-place  in  the  middle  of  the  floor ;  the  smoke  escapes 
through  a  hole  in  the  roof." 

"Where  are  the  chairs?"  asked  Ralph. 

"  The    floor  is   chair." 

"  And  haven't   they   any   sofa  ? " 

"The   floor   is   sofa." 

"  Haven't  they  any  beds  or  tables  i 

"We  will  find  out." 

The  doctor  then  went  up  to  one  of  the  partitions,  and  the  Japanese 
woman  w^ho  had  followed  him  and  comprehended  his  desire,  courte- 
ously slipped  forward  and  pushed  back  the  paper  wall.  The  boys 
then  saw  that  the  partitions  were  arranged  to  slide  backward  and 
forward.  In  the  second  room  thus  revealed,  they  saw  a  wooden 
block  and  a  little  cushion  on  top.     Near  it  were  several  quilts. 

"  The  floor  with  the  matting  is  the  bedstead,  boys,  and  these  quilts 
are  the  bedding.  You  see  the  furniture  is  very  simple.  Sometimes 
you  will  see  a  little  lacquer  table  in  a  room.  I  have  seen  in  houses  a 
room  with  a  recess  and  raised  platform  for  vases,  flowers,  and  various 
ornaments ;  and  the  surrounding  walls  are  decorated  with  pictures. 
Generally  in  houses  you  see  a  god-shelf;  perhaps  in  the  kitchen  or 
the  family  sitting-room." 

"  I  can  see  after  inspecting  this  house,"  remarked  Uncle  Nat,  "  why 
fires  are  so  destructive  in  Japan,  the  houses  being  just  wood  and  paper 
so  often." 

"  I  was  going  through  a  town  once,"  remarked  the  doctor,  "  and 
I  noticed  the  sounding  of  a  fire-alarm.  A  man  mounted  a  ladder 
and  bawled  to  the  people,  and  they  responded  •  and  pulled  down  the 
house  that  was  on  fire.  That  probably  was  the  best  thing  they 
could  have   done.     The   building   was   a   cheap   affair,  and  it   was   of 


1 78  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

more  consequence  to  prevent  the  spreading  of  the  fire  than  to  save 
the  house.  People  in  Japan  do  not  live  in  palaces,  by  any  means. 
Some  of  these  must  be  places  of  positive  discomfort  in  cold  weather. 
Japan  is  not  that  fairy-land  of  pleasure  and  luxuries  tliat  we  might 
imagine  from  the  talk  of  some." 

'•  No, "  said  Ralph  ;  "  I  meet  people  every  day  thin  and  bony,  wlio 
look  as  if  they  envied  me  every  mouthful  of  food  I  took." 

"  Japan  has  its  share  of  poverty,"  said  the  doctor,  "  while  the  people 
as  a  whole  seem  comfortable." 

In  the  house  last  visited  Rick  executed  a  piece  of  mischief.  He 
wanted  to  see  how  thick  might  be  the  paper  in  the  partitions,  and 
he  pressed  against  it  and  pressed  through  it !  Frightened,  he  left 
the  house  without  an  apology  to  its  mistress. 

"  That  won't  do,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  I  am  backing  out  in 
a  mean  way.  Besides,  I  have  lost  my  sleeve-button.  It  is  in  the 
road  probably,  and  I  had  better  hunt  it  up.  No  ;  I  will  go  into  the 
house  first." 

He  turned,  and  entering  the  house  again  drew  its  mistress  up  to 
the  ruptured  partition.  As  he  showed  it,  he  pulled  some  money 
out  of  his  pocket  and  offered  it  to  her.  She  laughed,  and  shook  her 
head. 

'•  Oh  yes ;   take  it,"  persisted  Rick. 

She  shook  her  head  again  and  jabbered  out  a  quantity  of  Japanese 
words.  Then  laughing,  she  put  her  hand  into  the  sash  about  her 
waist  —  the  obi — and  pulled  out  Rick's  sleeve-button!  She  stooped 
to  the  floor  and  signified  thereby  that  she  had  picked  it  up  there. 
Rick,  as  he  received  the  button,  again  pressed  her  to  take  the  money ; 
but  she  declined.  Then  he  put  it  into  the  hand  of  a  baby  on  her  back, 
and   running  out  to   his  jinrikisha,   was   rapidly  borne    away. 

It  was  in  the  first  day's  journey  that  the  doctor  said :     "  There  is  a 


O'/     ^ 


A  JINRIKISHA  JO  URNEY.  1 8 1 

curiosity  I  want  the  boys  to  see,  if  agreeable  to  you,  captain.  1  mean  the 
famous  Buddhist  idol,  three  miles  from  Kamakura." 

"  We  will  certainly  go,"  replied  Uncle  Nat. 

Arriving  at  the  designated  spot,  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  two  boys 
were  turned  in  every  direction,  and  their  mouths  were  full  of  questions. 
The  big  idol,  Dai  Butzu,  interested   them  exceedingly. 

"  This  idol,  boys,"  said  the  doctor,  *'  is  a  big  bronze  image  of  Buddha. 
You  see  he  is  squat  in  a  gigantic  lotus-blossom." 

The  god's  eyes  were  shut  and  he  appeared  to  be  enjoying  a  nap,  his 
hands  resting  in  his  ample  lap. 

'•Oh-h-h!"  said  Rick. 

'•  There  he  is !  The  man  whose  religion  is  that  of  Buddhism 
believes  that  the  final  and  desirable  state  of  the  good  is  one  of  un- 
conscious rest,  and  the  god,  you  see,  is  in  that  condition.  Look  at 
his  head  !  It  is  covered  over  with  shells  —  the  shells  of  snails.  An 
old  fable  runs  that  when  Buddha  came  up  from  the  sea,  these  snails 
travelled  at  a  wonderful  pace,  for  them,  and  clustered  upon  the  head 
of  his  sacred  majesty,  making  a  kind  of  shield  against  the  sun.  Then 
it  is  also  said  that  the  shells  represent  the  god's  wavy  hair." 

Rick  and  Ralph  were  on  the  hunt  at  once  for  adventures.  They 
found  a  chance  to  get  inside  the  image,  and  they  saw  a  number  of 
shelves  there  supporting  little  images.  Coming  out  again,  the  boys 
looked  over  the  idol  once  more. 

''  He  has  big  ears,"  said  Rick,  "  and  that  is  a  good  sign ;  for  they 
say  that  folks  with  big  ears  are  generous." 

The  last  thing  that  the  boys  desired  to  do  was  to  climb  up  and 
perch   on   a   thumb    of   the   god. 

When  they  started  to  leave,  the  doctor  said :  "  You  will  find  many 
temples  in  Japan,  and  some  are  very  rich  in  their  style  of  arrangements 
within.     I   remember  one    that   I   saw  the  past  season.     Its  roof  was 


i82  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

very  heavily  tiled.  Before  the  temple-steps  stood  four  men,  their 
heads  reverently  bowed.  The  sight  touched  me,  though  the  men 
were  idolaters,  and  made  me  long  for  the  time  when  the  light  of 
a  better  day  would  come  to  them,  and  show  them  the  Saviour." 

When  twilight  came  they  stopped  the  jinrikishas  at  the  door  of 
a  public  house,  or  yadoya.  The  landlord  met  them  when  entering,  and 
prostrated  himself,  bowing  his  shiny  scalp,  and  w^ith  his  forehead 
touched  the  floor  several  times.     The  building  was  quite  large. 

"  Slide  back  all  these  paper  walls  about  us,  boys,  and  you  would 
get  an  immense  room ;  a  plan  they  resort  to  in  Japan  when  they 
want  plenty  of   space,"   said   the  doctor. 

*'  Supper  most  ready  ? "  asked  the  captain,  as  they  passed  into 
an   inner  room. 

"  Almost,  I  guess,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  I  noticed  in  the  kitchen 
that  things  seemed  to  be  in  the  condition  of  a  lively  bake  or  a 
lively  boil." 

They  all  sat  down  upon  the  mat-covered  floor,  and  supper  was 
brought  in   and   placed   on   little   low   tables. 

"  What  have  we  here  ? "  asked  Uncle  Nat.  "  Jack  Bobstay  has 
been  in  Japan,  and  we  ought  to  have  him  hero  to  give  his  opinion, 
boys.     But   here  comes  the   doctor,   and   he   will   tell   us." 

Blessed  old  Jack  Bobstay !  How  Ralph  and  Rick  wished  him 
there.  The  doctor,  who  had  been  out  of  the  room,  now  returned,  and 
gave   his   opinion  about   the   dishes   furnished   for   supper. 

"  Let's  see !  Here  are  eggs,  and  here  is  rice,  and  here  is  tea, 
and  here  is  —  give  it  up  !  It  is  some  mysterious  Japanese  vegetable 
compound.     Ah,  here   is  some   fish!" 

"I  can't  say  I  like  Japanese  living  as  well  as  I  do  the  roast- 
beef   style,"    said  Uncle  Nat ;    and  it  was   the   opinion   of   all. 

Supper   over,  Ralph    and   Rick  clamored  for   a   story, 


A  JINRIKISHA  JO  URNE  V. 


185 


"  A  story  ?  Hold  on 
a  minute  or  two.  I 
think  it  would  be  a 
good  idea  to  have  a 
little  fire,  and  I  will 
ask  our  landlord  to  let  us 
have  a  brazier  of  coals,' 
replied   the    doctor. 

A   little    furnace 
of    hot    coals,   known 
as  the  hibachi  or  fire- 
brazier,  was  soon  sur- 
rounded by  a  group  of 
listeners  squat  upon  the 
floor     and     anxiously 
awaiting   the    doctor's 
story.     Ralph     looked 
about  him.   There  were 
the    floor-squatters    in 
that     strangely     fur- 
nished   room,    neither 
chair    nor   lounge    be- 
neath them,  the  brazier 
before   them,   paper 
walls  liglited  by  a  Jap- 
anese lamp  about  them. 
"  This    lamp,"    said 
the    doctor,    "  has     a 
saucer  filled  with  rape- 
seed  oil  which  feeds  a 


1 86  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LAXDS. 

lighted   wick.        People   are   using   kerosene    lamps    iii    many   places." 

The  boys  thought  it  would  be  fun  to  listen  to  a  story  seated  around 
a  Japanese  brazier.     The  doctor  began  : 

"It  is  claimed  that  the  authentic  history  of  Japan  goes  back  to 
the  seventh  century  before  Christ.  It  is  not  easy  to  give  precise 
dates,  but  when  we  think  of  Rome's  long  existence,  we  must  remember 
that .  Japan  is  at  least  as  ancient  a  country,  and  probably  has  had  a 
longer  life.  The  history  of  Japan  is  full  of  exciting  deeds,  bristling 
with  strife,  a  great  many  heroes  figuring  in  the  contests. 

"Japan  makes  me  think  of  England,  in  some  things.  They  both  are 
islands,  and  both  have  been  jealous  of  foreign  interference,  and  both  have 
had  civil  wars.  Just  as  England  had  its  war  of  the  Roses,  so  Japan  had 
its  war  of  the  Chrysanthemums,  that  flower  representing  a  kingly 
line.  Then  England,  you  know,  had  its  Spanish  Armada  ;  that  big, 
burly  collection  of  old  scows  coming  to  overthrow  English  power. 
So  Japan  was  threatened  by  a  Chinese  Armada.  There  were  one  hun- 
dred and  seven  thousand  Chinese,  Tartars  and  Coreans  in  thirty-five 
hundred  jimks.  It  is  now  .six  centuries  almost  to  a  year  that  this 
big  flock  of  evil  birds,  their  wings  outspread  in  an  evil  flight,  came 
toward  Japan.  The  birds  folded  their  wings  oft'  the  city  of  Daizaifu. 
Now  the  Japanese  are  brave.  The  children  are  trained  to  despise 
death,  and  to  have  a  very  delicate  sense  of  honor,  which  is  sometimes 
very  foolish  and  very  bloody. 

"  The  Japanese  sailed  out  in  their  lighter  craft,  showing  their  spunk 
and  daring;  but  though  they  annoyed  the  enemy  and  did  valiant 
deeds,  they  accomplished  nothing  substantial  and  decisive.  They  lost 
many  lives,  as  the  Chinese  junks  carried  catapults  or  machines  for 
throwing  stones,  and  they  cruelly  pelted  the  J.tpanese  navy.  The 
Chinese  finally  swung  an  iron  chain  f^'om  one  vessel  to  another,  to 
intercept  the  attacks  of  the  Japanese.      The  Chinese  also  sent  parties 


A  JINRTKISHA  JO  L  RNE  Y.  187 

to  the  shore,  but  the  Japanese  routed  them ;  and  they  built  earth-works 
along  the  sands,  to  keep  off  the  invaders. 

"  A  Japanese  officer,  Michiari,  was  pleased  to  see  this  Chinese  inva- 
sion, as  he  had  prayed  for  this  very  thing.  Writing  his  prayers  on 
pieces  of  paper  and  then  piously  committing  them  to  memory,  he 
finally  set  the  paper-prayers  on  fire,  as  that  is  supposed  to  be  a  quick 
way  of  getting  a  message  to  a  god.  The  ashes  he  swallowed !  That 
process  must  have  touched  the  heart  of  a  wooden  god,  even, 

"  Michiari  now  packed  two  boats  with  daring  men,  and  off  he  went 
to  the  Chinese  fleet.  His  pigmy  craft  were  despised  by  the  Chinese, 
for  the  Japanese  were  apparently  unarmed. 

"  '■  He  is  coming  to  surrender  himself,'  said  the  Chinese  concerning 
the   Japan    leader. 

"  But  the  latter  had  no  such  idea.  He  threw  out  his  grappling- 
hooks,  seized  a  junk,  and  then  his  band  with  keen  swords  attacked 
and  overpowered  the  crew.  Burning  the  junk,  they  left  for  the 
shore.  The  whole  nation  was  fired  by  such  heroism,  and  help  came 
from  every  quarter.  All  over  the  land,  too,  there  was  a  going  up 
of  prayers  at  the  temples.  The  emperor  wrote  out  a  prayer  and  sent 
it  by  a  messenger  to  a  temple,  and  the  story  runs  that  when  the  mes- 
senger reached  the  shrine  and  presented  the  prayer,  a  bit  of  cloud 
was  seen  that  grew  into  —  what  ? 

"  Into  one  of  the  cyclones,  so  well  known  in  that  part  of  the  world ; 
and  it  burst  upon  the  Chinese  fleet  How  it  raged  —  that  awfid 
storm ! 

"It  reminds  one  of  the  terrible  gale  destroying  the  Spanish  Armada 
off  the  English  coast.  In  that  Japanese  cyclone,  the  Chinese  junks 
were  swept  helplessly  upon  the  terril)le  shore-rocks,  and  many  men 
were  drowned.  The  survivors  reached  Taka  island,  intending  to 
build  boats  there  in  which  they  could  sail  to  Corea ;  but  the  Japanese 


i88 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


thought    it    just    the    time    to    improve    his 


came  upon  them,  and, 
overpowering  them, 
left  only  three  to 
carry  home  the  tidings 
of  the  sad  disaster  on 
the  shores  of  Japan. 

"  That  was  an  aw- 
ful catastrophe.  Al- 
though it  happened 
hundreds  of  years  ago, 
it  is  by  no  means  for- 
gotten, and  to-day 
you  may  hear  a  Jap- 
anese mother  refer- 
ring to  that  great 
Chinese  Armada,  as 
she  tries  to  quiet  her 
child  with  the  ques- 
tion : 

" '  Do  you  think 
the  Mogu  (Mongols) 
are  coming  ? '  " 

After  the  telling  of 
this  story,  the  doctor 
and  Uncle  Nat  went 
out  to  make  some 
a  r  r  a  n  g  e  m  e  n  t  s  for 
their  journey  on  the 
morrow,  and  Rick 
opportunity ! 


A  JINRIKISHA  JO  I  'RNE  Y.  189 

He  heard  a  noise  on  the  other  side  of  the  paper-walls. 

"  It  sounds  like  a  man  snoring,"  he  said.  "  I  wonder  if  ! 
can't  take  a  peep !  Let  me  see  ;  I  just  take  hold  of  this  thing,  shove 
a   little,  and   slide  it  —  back  !  " 

To  his  gratification  the  paper  screen  moved  back,  and  allowed  him 
a  chance  to  thrust  in  his  inquisitive  head.  He  saw  the  snorer  stretched 
out  for  the  night  in  Japanese  fashion,  and  near  him  was  a  paper- 
shaded  lamp,  its  mjld  lustre  falling  over  the  room.  At  one  side  of 
the  room,  the  partition  was  decorated  with  a  picture  of  Fujisan, 
storks  and   vines. 

While  Rick  was  enjoying  this  view,  he  surprised  himself  and  others 
by  yelling  in  pain,  "  Ow  -  w  -  w !  "       , 

The  next  moment  he  was  seen  rushing  back  into  his  room,  holding 
on  to  a  badly  nipped  nose.  He  had  thrust  his  sharp  little  nose  just 
far  enough  forward  to  be  caught  between  the  paper  partition  and  its 
neighbor,  if  any  hand  might  force  them  together,  and  that  hand  had 
been  furnished  by  Uncle  Nat's  coming  mto  the  room,  and  noticing  at 
one  end  of  the  partition  that  it  was  not  in  place;  he  failed  to  look 
at  the  other  end  and  see  who  was  there ;  and  Rick  had  the  benefit  of 
Uncle  Nat's  ignorance. 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  said  Uncle  Nat ;    "  I  won't  do  it  again." 
*•  And  I'm  sure  I  don't  want  you  to,"  blubbered  Rick. 


A   POETESS. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


OKA   AND    MURASAKI. 


o 


NE    more  story !"  was    the    appeal    of   the   boys    to    the    doctor 


the   next    morning. 


"  Please,  one  more,  "  they  cried. 

''  Oh  have  mercy,  boys !  You  will  wear  the  doctor  out,"  said 
Uncle    Nat. 

"I  will  put  my  hand  in  the  bag  and  pull  out  one  more  story,** 
said  the  doctor  good-naturedly ;  "  and  this  shall  be  about  Judge 
Oka.  One  day  a  case  of  theft  came  before  him,  and  the  par- 
ticulars were  these :  There  was  an  old  man,  very  rich,  but  he 
kept   on   selling  pickled    vegetables  —  his    business  —  for    it    brought 

190 


OKA  AND  MVRASAKI. 


»93 


him  the  gold  he  loved  so  dearly.  Bat  where  could  he  safely  keep 
his  gold,  Avhen  he  had  it  ?  He  thought  of  a  curious  place  at  last. 
Among  his  pickled  vegetables  was  a  vessel  of  radishes.  These 
were  kept  in  a  mixture  of  various  things  —  salt,  radish-juice,  and 
so  on,  which,  in  the  course  of  time,  evolves  an  abominable  odor^ 
strong  enough  to  knock  a  horse  over,  but  not  a  miser.  There,  in 
the  dark  bottom  of  the  radish- vessel,  the  skinflint  kept  his  gold. 
It  chanced,  though,  that  a  neighbor  found  out  this  precious  fact. 
Perhaps  he  was  looking  through  a  window  at  night  that  had  not 
been  shut,  and  he  saw  Old  Nipper  —  my  name  for  him  —  making 
a  wry  face,  as  ne  plunged  his  hand  down  among  the  radishes, 
then  showing  a  very  happy  face,  as  he  fished  up  a  shining  piece 
of  gold.  This  neighbor  —  alas  for  the  old  pickle-dealer!  went  into 
the  shop  during  Nipper's  absence,  and  putting  his  hand  into 
the  radish-dish  left  the  radishes,  but  took  the  gold.  What  a  face 
the  old  pickle-dealer  made  now,  when  he  examined  his  beloved 
collection  of  radishes !  He  flew  to  Judge  Oka  and  told  the  story. 
What  was  to  be  done?  Did  the  judge  scratch  his  head,  look 
grave,  and  wonder,  and  then  scratch  again  ?  If  he  did,  something 
came  of  the  scratching.  He  summoned  before  him  Nipper's  neigh- 
bors, and  afterwards  locked  the  doors.  Then  he  went  from  man 
to  man,  and  made  them  present  their  hands.  What  was  the 
judge  up  to  ?  He  was  up  to  this  —  a  smell  ;  for  he  went  from 
man  to  man,  and  so  came  to  a  hand  that  carried  the  abominable 
smell  of  the  radishes.  It  was  the  hand  of  the  thief,  and  he  owned 
up   and   received   his   deserts." 

The  boys  thought  that  Judge   Oka  was  the   "  smartest  judge  out." 
"  I   'spose,"  said  Rick,   "  the  Japanese   have    story-books,  as  well  as 
story-tellers." 

"  Oh    yes,    the    Japanese    are    very   literary,    after    their    fashion. 


194  .  ^^^  ABOARD  J' OK  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

They  have  a  great  in  an  a*  books,  and  not  only  the  men,  but  the 
ivomen,  have  cultivated  a  literary  taste.  There  is  a  book  highly 
■esteemed  in  Japan  which  was  written  by  Murasaki  Shikibu,  a 
]ady.  She  was  asked  to  write  some  sketches,  as  the  mother 
of  the  emperor  wished  for  a  fresh  book ;  and  Murasaki  resolved  to 
attempt   the   task. 

"  As  the  famous  Chinese  author,  Shomei,  when  he  wished  to  execute 
some  literar}'  work,  put  up  a  lofty  building  and  then  shut  himself 
in  it,  she  determined  to  imitate  his  example.  At  Ishiyama,  from 
which  one  looks  down  upon  the  waters  of  Lake  Biwa,  a  very  high 
retreat  w^as  built  for  her.  In  the  moonlight,  the  waters  glistened 
like  glass,  while  the  mountains  rose  up  stately  and  grand.  Murasaki 
retired  to  the  spot,  and  there,  alone  with  the  moonlight,  the  water, 
and  the  mountains,  she  was  so  fired  by  a  literary  fever  that  in 
one  night  she  wrote  two  chapters  of  the  Geiiji  Monogatari,  a  Jap- 
anese   classic ;    and  the    whole   work   she    finished  in    a    few  weeks." 

"  Do  not  the  Japanese  have  a  great  many  maxims  ?  "   said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  They  certainly  have  some  ingenious  sayings,  and  they  like  to 
trot  them  round.  Such  are  these :  '  Don't  trust  a  pigeon  to  carry 
grain  ; '  '  You  can  not  rivet  a  nail  in  potato-custard ; '  '  In  mending 
the  horn,  he  killed  the  ox;'  'Live  under  your  own  hat;'  'A  cur 
that  bravely  barks  before  its  own  gate ; '  '  You  might  as  well 
scatter  a  fog  wdth  a  fan.'  A  blind  man  walked  confidently  near 
a  deep  hole,  and  I  heard  another  say,  as  he  rushed  up  and  pulled  the 
fellow  out  of  danger,  'A  blind  man  does  not  fear  a  snake.'" 

The  boys   then  looked   at  the   picture  of  a    street-scene    the   doctor 

showed  them.     There   were    ladies,   a  kago    and     bearers,     an    official 

on   horseback,    and    "  two-sworded    gentlemen,"    as    the  doctor    called 

them.     "  But  the  da}'    of  the  latter,"  he  added,  "  has  passed  by,  and 

this  is  an  old  Japan  scene." 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


JAPAN   TEA. 


I 


WANT,"  said  the  doctor   one 
morning,   "  tt)    show    the  boys 
something  new  to-day." 

•'All    right.       Anything  to  in- 
terest   those    lively    youths,"    re- 
plied   the    obliging  Uncle  Nat. 
Where  the  road  passed  through 
a    tarming    region     the    doctor    cried    out : 
''  Let's  stop  here  !  " 

The  jinrikishas  came  to  a  halt,  and  the  party  alighted ;  the  doctor 
led  them  into  a  field  dotted  with  bushes  that  seemed  to  be  magnets 
attracting  several  young  women,  and  these  seemed  like  very  busy 
V)irds  pecking  at  tempting  fruit. 

"  Huckleberry  bushes ! "  shouted  Kalph,  springing  away,  and  fol- 
lowed by  Rick. 

•*0h  pshaw  !  "  exclaimed  Ralph.  "  I  forgot  it  was  spring!  But  what 
■are  they?" 

•'  Brmg  on  your  huckleberries,  boys  ! "  called  out  Uncle  Nat.  The 
doctor  was  roaring. 

'•  Sold  I    sold  I  "    exclaimed  Uncle  Nat. 

The  boys  were  of  the  same  opinion,  as  their  look  of  chagrin  showed. 


196  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Well,  what  do  yoii  call  them  ? "  asked  Rick. 

"  Oh  I  know,"  said  Ralph.  "  I  remember,  now,  that  I  saw  a  picture 
of  them  once.     They  are  tea-plants,  doctor." 

"  Yes,  these  are  tea-bushes ;  and,  as  you  see,  they  grow  to  be  pretty 
stout.  They  are  now  picking  the  new  leaves  on  top — the  tender 
growth ;  they  gather  older  leaves  also,  but  the  nicest  teas  come 
from  the  tender  tips  of  growth  in  the  spring.  What  is  sold  generally 
in  our  home  is  the  older  leaf-growth,  and  some  of  it,  as  I  remember 
the  taste,  was  pretty  old  indeed.  And  do  you  want  to  see  the  next 
step  in  this  tea-business  ?     Come  this  way." 

They  followed  one  of  the  tea-pickers  w4io  was  now  carrying  a  basket 
filled  with  leaves,  and  she  entered  a  building  where  several  men  were 
at  work.  The  leaves  were  then  steamed  a  little  while  and  softened. 
The  next  stage  in  the  process  was  the  drying ;  and  the  boys  w^atched 
it  intently.  The  leaves,  still  moist,  were  placed  in  pans,  and  heat 
applied.  Beginning  with  the  hottest  pans,  a  Japanese  then  worked 
the  leaves  over,  and  after  a  lengthy  rubbing  and  rolling,  the  dried 
leaves  were  gathered  in  baskets. 

"  There  is  one  other  thing  to  be  seen,"  said  the  doctor ;  and  he  led 
Uncle  Nat  and  the  boys  to  a  house  where  the  leaves  were  sifted  and 
picked  over.  Everything  of  a  refuse  nature  was  throw^n  away,  tlie 
nicer  leaves  put  by  themselves,  and  also  the  coarser  grow^th. 

"  The  last  process  I  guess  you  all  smelt  at  Yokohama.  Do  you 
remember  any  tea-odor  in  the  street  after  }^ur  landing  ? " 

"  Oh  yes,  doctor,"  said  Uncle  Nat ;  "  and  I  wanted  a  cup  of  tea  at 
once." 

"  At  Yokohama  the  tea  is  re-fired,  as  they  call  it ;  heated  and  worked 
over  and  prepared  for  a  sea-voyage  to  distant  markets ;  and  the  most 
of  this,  they  tell  me,  is  colored  to  suit  foreign  customers." 

The  jinrikishas  were  now  resumed,  and  the  journey  continued. 


JAPAN  TEA.  199 

When  they  stopped  at  a  hotel  that  niglit,  Rick,  who  had  put  his 
legs  to  a  very  frequent  use  during  the  day,  dropped  into  a  profound 
slumber  at  once  j  but  Ralph  lay  awake.  He  saw  where  the  soft 
light  from  the  paper-lamp  fell  upon  the  paper-walls.  Then  he  thought 
how  queer  it  was  to  be  in  that  room  without  bedstead,  without  table, 
without  chair,  without  washstand.  Hark !  He  raised  himself  on  his 
elbow. 

'"Frogs!"  he  said.  '^The  frog  band  is  out,  and  serenading  some- 
body !     That  makes  me  think  of  home." 

Then  his  thoughts  wandered  far  away  to  old  Concord.  He  imagined 
himself  passing  into  the  house.  He  went  into  the  sitting-room.  He 
climbed  the  stairs  leading  to  the  chamber  where  he  and  Rick 
had  many  mornings  contended  in  such  obstinate  pillow-fights,  sure 
to  be  followed  by  a  nap  from  which  mother's  voice  would  with 
difficulty  arouse  them.  What  heavy  sleepers!  So  drowsy  when 
she  called  ;  and  she  called  now.  Then  he  slowly  crawled  out  to  the 
barn-chamber  —  so  quiet  ;  no  one  there  !  Then  he  went  out  into 
the  garden  under  an  old  pine,  where  the  wind  made  such  sleepy, 
sleepy  music,  and  then  he  went  —  went  —  went  — ■  to  the  Land  of 
Nod! 


CHAPTER    XX 


MOURNEliS    AND    RELIGIOUS    FAITHS. 


FN  the  morning  the  jinrikishas 
-*■  moved  off  briskly.  The  way  led 
past  farm-houses  and  fields ;  through 
villages ;  amid  varying  features  of 
Japanese  life  and  scenery.  There 
were  man-carts,  and  jinrikishas  and 
kagos  —  pilgrims,  policemen,  farmers  ; 
but  everywhere  it  was  Japan, 
and  everybody  was  Japanese.  There 
were  the  same  yellow-skinned,  dark- 
eyed  people,  wearing  their  obi  and  clogs ;  not  so  thrifty  in  their 
looks,  so  well-to-do,  as  a  New  England  people,  and  yet  always 
civil  and  pleasant.  Our  travellers  were  tired,  and  early  halted  for 
their  nightly  rest.  After  their  supper  of  tea,  fish,  and  rice,  Ralph 
came  to  the  doctor,  whispering,  "  I  guess  somebody  is  dead  in  the 
next  house." 
"Why    so?" 

"  I  went  to  the  door  to  see  if  any  children  might  be  there, 
because  I  thought  they  would  like  to  have  some  of  the  picture 
papers    I    had." 

"  Some    you    brought    from    home  ? " 

"  Yes ;    that   was    Nurse    Fennell's    idea.     She    said    she    couldn't  be 


MOURNERS  AND  RELIGIOUS  EAITHS.  203 

a  missionary  to  the  heathen,  but  she  could  send  'em  papers  ;  so 
she  begged  a  lot  with  pictures,  and  Rick  and  I  —  when  we  don't 
forget  —  give  them  round  ;  and,  doctor,  children  like  to  look 
at    them." 

"  Oh  yes.  They  see  the  picture  and  get  some  good  idea  from  it, 
miless  Nurse  Fennel  sent  them  a  bad  assortment.  But  you  didn't 
tell    what   you    saw." 

'^  Well,  I  saw  people  bowing  on.  the  floor,  and  they  seemed  to  be 
in    a    great    deal    of  trouble." 

'■'■  You  are  right,  Ralph.  Some  one  had  already  told  me  that  a 
death  had  taken  place  there.  Did  you  see  a  screen  turned  upside 
down,  and  a  kind  of  table  near  it ;  and  was  there  any  light  on 
the    table ;    and    did   you    see    dishes  ? " 

"Oh    yes." 

"■  Well,  Ijohind  the  screen  was  the  dead  body,  the  head  turned 
to  the  north  —  for  the  Japanese  are  very  particular  about  the  direction 
of  the  head.  Near  the  body,  probably,  were  the  chop-sticks^ 
and  eating-tray  the  deceased  had  used  ;  cups  and  saucers  also.  Food 
too    doubtless   was    there." 

"They  seemed  to  be  in  terrible  trouble,"  said  Ralph  sympathet- 
ically. 

The  journey  was  delayed  next  day,  and  the  boys  saw  a  funeral 
procession  move*  along  the  road.  A  platform  resting  on  two  poles- 
that  four  bearers  uplifted,  supported  the  coffin.  The  coffin  was 
covered  with  a  white  cloth,  and  the  bearers  wore  a  white  dress. 
In  the  procession  were  priests  wearing  their  robes  ;  and  there  were 
the   bearers    of   lanterns,   which    were    of   white  paper. 

"  White  seems  to  be  the  color  of  mourning  more  than  black," 
thought  Rick.  Something  else  he  noticed ;  and  he  asked  the  doctor 
about    it. 


2  04  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  I  saw  the  lanterns  in  the  procession.  They  seem  to  use  them 
for   ahnost   everything." 

''  Yes ;  that  is  one  of  the  features  in  Japan  a  stranger  is  sure 
to  notice.  The  lanterns  are  sometimes  very  large.  Those  used  in 
the  temples  are  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  and  they  will  measure 
three  or  four  feet  through.  They  may  be  only  a  foot  long  and  four 
'Or  five  inches  wide ;  and  such  lanterns  are  carried  about.  They  are 
•of  various  shapes;  sometimes  like  fans  or  fishes,  then  circular,  or 
perhaps    square  or    oblong." 

When  they  halted  that  noon,  the  boys  asked  the  doctor  to  tell 
them  about  the  religions  of  Japan. 

''  There  are  three  religions.  The  oldest  is  the  Shinto.  In  the 
:Shinto  temples  you  will  find  special  honors  paid  to  the  departed  heroes, 
whom  this  religion  deifies.  It  teaches  that  the  mikado  is  a  divinity. 
It  has  been  policy  for  the  government  to  keep  up  this  old  faith,  whose 
special  distinguishing  feature  is  the  worship  of  Japanese  heroes. 

"Buddhism  is  another  religion  observed  in  Japan,  but  it  was  some- 
thing imported.  Its  founder  lived  in  India  in  the  sixth  century  before 
Christ,  and  was  the  son  of  an  Indian  king.  His  name  was  Siddhartha, 
but  he  was  also  called  Gautama  (a  family  name)  and  Sakyamuni  (the 
devotee  of  Sakya ;  another  family  name).  His  title  of  honor  was 
Buddha,  meaning  ^  the  sage.'  There  have  been  various  Buddhas, 
Gautama  being  the  last ;  and  he  declared  that  another  would  in  the 
future  appear. 

"  The  Buddha  receives  divine  honors,  and  is  thought  to  be  the 
supreme  ruler  of  the  present  period  of  the  world.  In  his  images, 
he  is  generally  represented  as  seated,  his  legs  crossed,  apparently 
lost  in  contemplation.  This  state  of  mind  is  thought  to  be  a  great 
vn-tue,  and  an  excellent  way  of  getting  to  the  Buddhist  heaven. 
According   to    Buddhism,  the   soul    at   death    passes    into   a    new   form 


MOURNERS  AND  RELIGiOL'S  FAITHS. 


205- 


of  existence,  higher  or  lower  —  perhaps  a  superior  being  or  a  disgusting 
animal ;  according  to    one's  merit  or  demerit. 

"  The  Buddhist  heaven,  accessible  only  after  many  transformations, 
much  living  and  dying,  suffering  and  purifying,  is  called  nirvana;  a 
state  of  unconsciousness,  rest,  apathy,  and  some  say  it  means  extinction. 
Anyway,  it  must  be  a  queer  kind  of  know-nothing-ness.  The  founder 
of  Buddhism  is  claimed  to  have  three  hundred  millions  of  followers 
in  the  world,  and  he  has  been  allow^ed  four  hundred  millions  even.  In 
Japan  he  is  very  popular.  He  himself  exacted  of  his  disciples  a 
life  of   self-denial,  and  insisted  upon  good  morals  j   but  Buddhism  has- 


BEATING  THE  TEMPLE  DRUM, 


degenerated,  and  as  we   find   its  followers  to-day,  there  is  imperative- 
need  of  a  great  and  radical  change.' 

"  There    seem   to  be    a    good    many    Buddhist   temples   in    Japan," 
remarked  Uncle  Nat. 


2o6 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


"  Yes  ;  and  in  these  temples  you  find  the  worship  of  various  Japanese 
deities,  such  as  deified  old  heroes,  so  that  Buddha  is  not  the  only 
one  receiving  special  honor.     Buddhism  has  been  adapted   to  Japan." 

''  Doctor,  why  do  they   beat  drums   in  the  temples  ? "  asked  Rick. 


THE   EXCURSION   OF  TENGON    BY   WATER. 


"  In  that  way  the  attention  of  the  god  who  is  supposed  to  be  in 
a  state  of  apathy,  is  called  to  the  prayers  of  suppliants.  In  some 
countries  the  idea  prevails  also  that  evil  spirits  may  hinder  one's 
prayers  from  reaching  Buddha,  and  the  drum-beating  scares  away 
the  spirits.  Besides  these  faiths,  Confucianism  has  its  followers  in 
Japan.  Confucius  was  a  Chinese  philosopher,  and  his  teachings  pertain 
to  practical  matters  of  duty    rather  than  to  spiritual  things. 


MOURNERS  AND  RELIGIOUS  FAITHS.  lO'j 

'^  The  Japanese  do  not  seem  to  object  to  all  these  differing  styles 
of  religion.  They  like  many  temples,  and  they  fancy  festival  days 
There's  a  celebration  at  Sinagawa  in  honor  of  the  god,  Tengon.  The 
priests  take  the  shrine  of  the  idol  into  the  water,  but  the  fishermen 
are  accustomed  to  gather  and  generally  obtain  possession  of  Tengon, 
and   away   they   go,    giving   the    god   an    excursion    by   water." 

" Doctor,"  asked  Uncle  Nat,  " do   we   find   God    m   Buddhism?" 

"  No,    sir ;    not    as    I   understand   it."  ' 

"  Do    we    find    it    in    Shinto  ? " 

"No,    sir." 

"  Do   we   find  it    in    Confucianism  ? " 

"  No,    sir." 

"  That   settles   the   case   of  each   one   of   '..hese  systems   then." 

'•  The  situation  of  the  people  of  Japan  is  one  to  interest  every 
man  who  thinks  below  the  surface  of  things,"  said  the  doctor.  "  They 
iiave  begun  to  accept  foreign  ideas,  and  are  throwing  aside  their  old 
notions.  Their  religion  may  go  too,  and  what  have  we  to  offer  in 
its  place  ?  A  new  and  better  influence  must  come  into  play,  to  move 
upon,  steady  and  guide  them.  Then,  certain  Japanese  qualities  need 
overhauling.  They  are  not  as  pure  a  people  as  they  might  be  —  a 
thing,  I  believe,  that  some  of  their  leading  men  are  regretting,  and 
are  trying  to  put  away  from  the  people.  And  there  is  not,  also, 
that  truth-telling  we  would  like  to  see  in  a  nation.  But  Japan  will 
improve,    and   it    has    already   begun    to    improve. 

"  Now,  let  the  gospel  of  Christ  come  in  to  do  its  great 
work.  The  gospel  was  once  offered,  but  not  in  a  pure  form.  It 
was  misunderstood,  condemned  and  exiled.  You  remember  I  spoke 
of  the  persecution  of  Roman  Catholics,  and  although  the  bloody 
work  has  been  supposed  to  have  been  so  thorough,  yet  I  am  told 
there  were  many  survivors,  and  that  at  the  time   of   the    late  advent 


2o8  ALL  ABOARD  J^OR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

of  foreigners  there  were  twenty  thousand  Christians  still  living  in 
Japan.  Their  religion  had  been  secretly  kept  up  all  these  weary 
years.  There  are  thought  to  be  thirty-five  hundred  Protestant  converts 
here,  the  Greek  Church  claiming  eight  or  nine  thousand  adherents, 
and  the  Roman  Catholic  thirty  thousand.  There  are  in  the  Protest- 
ant missions  about  sixty  male  and  thirty  female  workers.  These 
figures,  remember  though,  are  for  to-day.  Ii.  a  year  —  three  years,  five 
years,  ten  or  twenty  —  what  changes  may  take  place,  and  how  rapidly 
the    work   go   forward  ! 

"But  that  Japan  may  be  speedily  conquered,  Christians  have  need 
to  emphasize  their  differences  as  little  here  as  possible,  and  unite 
heartily  where  they  can  agree.  And  the  blessed  bond  of  union  for 
them  all  is  the  Cross .  and  the  story  of  the  Cross  is  the  agency 
Uiat  will    save   Japan." 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    FOX. 


nPHE    boys     bad    a]- 
^  ready   declared  that 
the  cats  of  Japan  were 
"  queer." 

"  And  they  most  all," 
said  Ralph,  "  have  no 
more  tail  than  a  rab- 
bit!" 

"The  cat   is    one    of 
the    animals    that     the 
lively     imagination     of 
the     Japanese    connects 
with  many  superstitious   stories,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Oh  tell  us  one  !     Tell  us  one  !  "  screamed  both  Ralph  and  Rick. 
"Ha  —  ha  !     It  is  not  safe  to  say  *  stories '  to  you.      Let  me   see 
if  1  have  one  handy.     I  will  look  into  my  story-bag." 
"  He  has,  I  know,"   whispered  Ralph  to  Rick. 

The  doctor  made  a  great  pretense  of  inspecting  and  overhauling  his 
coat-pocket.  Then  shaking  his  head  he  declared  that  nothing  was  in 
the  story-bag. 

"  Oh  I  see  something,"    said    Ralph,  picking  a  piece   of  paper  out 

of  the  doctor's  inverted  pocket. 

209 


A   JAPANESE   MISCHIEF-MAKER. 


2IO 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


*'  Ah !     What  is  that  ?  "  asked  the  doctor,  pretending  to  read   from 
the  scrap.      ^' Osode  and  the  cat.      Hem!     1  guess  I  will  tell  that." 
"  Good !  "  shouted  the  boys. 
"  In  a  Tokiyo  family,  there  was  a  female  servant,  Osode  by  name 


^^f^-^  '"ViM  '^>^"^^l  W  ^c 


-- V 


\  ^::- 


A   YANKKK   KITSUNE   UP   TO    HIS   FUN. 


THE  CAT  AND  THE  FOX. 


One  evening,  when  she  was  busy  with  her  sewing,  she  heard  her 
name  called.  Turning  to  learn  what  it  might  mean,  only  the  family- 
cat  could  be  seen.  Of  course  it  was  not  the  cat  calling ;  but  then 
her  name  was  again  and  again  called,  and  Osode  concluded  it  must 
be  the  cat  calling.  Thereupon  Miss  Puss,  begged  a  favor  —  the  loan 
of  a  handkerchief.  Osode  granted  it,  and  the  cat,  thanking  her, 
told  her  if  at  night,  when  the  moon  was  shining,  she  would  take  a 
peep  out  into  the  garden,  she   might  see  something  interesting. 

"  Osode  was  a  woman,  and  of  course  could  not  refrain  from  taking 
the  suggested  peep.  How  her  eyes  opened !  There  were  all  the 
cats  in  the  neighborhood,  each  robed  in  a  handkerchief,  and  executing 
a    lively  dance. 

"  The    next    morning    Osode    dutifully  told   her   master   what   was 

going  on,  and,  as  it  was  manifest 
that  mischievous  spirits  were  a.bout, 
it  was  arranged  that  the  next  time 
Miss  Euss  wished  the  loan  of  a 
handkerchief,  the  master  should  rush 
in    and    look    after   the    matter. 

"  But  when  at  Miss  Puss'  visit,  the 
master  came  flourishing  a  lance,  she 
had  gone  !  Noticing  a  queer-looking 
place  in  the  road,  he  valiantly  lanced 
it.  Lo !  on  the  lance's  point  he 
raised    Miss    Puss  !  " 

"  What     queer    cats  !  "    exclaimed 

Ralph.     "  Would  they  behave  better 

if    they   had   tails  ?  I    guess    it 

would    make    'em   mad ! "        How    they    all    laughed !       The    doctor 

continued;    "The  thunder-god  or  thunder-drummer,  called  Raiden,  is  a 


MAD    liECAUSE    RECEIVING    TAILS. 


2  12  ALL  AhUJRD  LOLi  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

kind  of  cat,  with  a  liuman  face.  Over  his  liead  is  an  arch  of 
drums,  out  of  which  the  thunder-cat  gets  all  the  music  that  people 
wish   for. 

"  The  old  Japanese  idea  is  that   it   is  the   thunder-cat   that  springs 
on   a   person   when    the   lightning   strikes. 

"  Then  there  is  the  wind-imp,  that  is  half  cat.  He  has  an  ugly 
human  face.  Sometimes  he  will  have  a  place  near  the  temples, 
and  the  thunder-cat  will  be  there  also.  The  wind-imp  carries  on 
his  shoulders  an  immense  sack  of  confined  air.  He  grasps  the  sack 
by  the  ends,  and  if  he  should  relax  his  grip,  the  air  will  rush  out 
and  you  will  have  wind.  When  he  still  holds  on  to  an  end,  but 
with  a  relaxed  grip,  you  may  expect  a  vigorous  blow;  but  if  he 
should  entirely  take  his  hand  off,  then  look  out !  Hold  on  to  your 
hat,  make  secure  all  house  blinds,  and  don't  walk  too  near  a  tall, 
slim  chimney !  A  violent  storm  will  now  rage  and  tear  over  the 
ground. 

"  This  spirit  has  a  bad  reputation  for  flying  into  travellers'  faces 
and  scratching  them  with  his  cats'  claws.  Here  is  another  animal 
that  plays  an  important  part  in  the  grotesque  fancies  of  the- 
Japanese  !  " 

Here  the  doctor,  taking  lead-pencil  and  paper,  sketclied  a  fox 
stealing   along  —  dark    as   a    shadow    in    the    moonlight. 

"Foxes  are  continually  supposed  to  be  playing  their  tricks  on 
people ;  and  one  trick  is  said  to  be  this :  To  induce  people  to 
fancy  that  a  buckwheat-field  in  flowering  time  is  a  river,  and  that 
they  will  have  to  strip  and  wade  through  it.  There  is  a  Japanese 
god,  Kitsune,  a  prankish  sort  of  a  creature,  that  takes  the  form  of 
a  fox.  He  delights  in  cutting  up  all  kinds  of  capers ;  leading 
travellers    astray   and    carrying   off   young   girls. 

"  It  is  Kitsune  that    often    Ijrings   sickness   upon    the    children,  and' 


THE  CAT  AND  THE  FOX. 


■13 


when    a    child    dies   the    stricken    mother's    shadow   on   the   wall    is 
thought  to  have  the  fox  shape.     Fox-stories  are  very  popular. 

"A  young  man  on  a  stormy  day  met  a  beautiful  lady  out  in  the 


KITSUNE   LEADING   ASTRAY   AN    INNOCENT   YOUNCJ   CKEATURE. 


rain.  He  gallantly  offered  her  his  umbrella,  but  he  noticed  that 
she  did  not  wear  a  rainy-day  suit,  but  an  elegant  party  dress  ;  and 
the  rain  had  not  dampened  it  in  the  least.  He  suspected  something 
evil,  and  drawing  his  sword  and  strengthening  himself  by  a  prayer, 
he  aimed  a  fierce  blow  at  her.  Then  he  took  to  his  heels  and  ran 
home,  returning,  though,  with  others,  to  find  a  handsome  fox  that  he 
had  severely  wounded !  Fearing  consequences,  he  went  and  made 
some  temple-offerings. 

'•  There  is  a  funny  fox-story  of  a  man  who  boasted  that  he   could 
fool   a  fox ;   and  when  he  saw  one  he   addressed   it  as    his    sister,  and 


214  A^L  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

told  it  to  come  along.  The  fox  followed,  assuming  the  form  of 
the  man's  sister.  He  invited  it  to  a  restaurant,  where  they  had 
a  splendid  lunch.  The  man  excused  himself  awhile,  and  sent  his 
servants  into  the  room,  who  found  no  woman,  but  an  immense  fox 
rapaciously  devouring  the  good  things  there !  A  rush  was  made 
for  the  animal,  but  it  made  off.  The  man  came  back  and  boasted 
of  the  joke  he  had  played  on  the  fox,  supposing  it  had  been  captured 
or  killed.  Instead  of  either  result,  the  fox  was  gone  and  a  big 
bill  left  behind  for  the  man  to  pay. 

"  On  the  night  preceding  the  day  Kitsune  is  to  be  worshipped, 
the  foxes  are  said  to  have  their  Sabbath  gathering  around  a  scraggy 
old  tree,  in  the  midst  of  an  ugly  marsh,  and  strange  lights  flash 
and  flare  about  them." 


THE  SABBATH  OF  THE  FOXES. 


2IS 


CHAPTER     XXTI. 


THE    BAMBOO,  RAIN-COATS    AND    BLIND    MEN. 


T  TNCLE  NAT  had  made  occasional  di- 
^^  gressioiis  from  the  Tokaido,  and,  reach- 
ing a  picturesque  neighborhood,  now  turned 
off  again,  hoping  to  find  some  object  of 
interest.  The  road  that  he  took  wound 
between  hills  bordered  by  rice-fields.  There 
was  one  valley  they  found  that  had  an 
enclosure  of  the  beautiful  bamboo,  and 
at  the  head  of  the  valley  rose  hills  shaggy 
with  forests  of  pine  and  fir. 

"The  bamboo  is  a  very  useful  tree  here 
in  Japan,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  very  useful  indeed." 

"  And  a  pretty  tree,  too,"  replied  Uncle  Nat.  "  It  looks  so  feathery 
waving  in  the  wind.  In  the  East  I  don't  know  what  they  would  do  with- 
out the  bamboo.  When  it  is  just  beginning  to  shoot,  you  can  eat  it  like 
asparagus.  The  grains  are  eatable,  and,  mixing  these  with  honey, 
the  Hindoos  regard  the  compound  as  a  delicacy  when  roasted. 
Then  how  many  uses  the  bamboo-stem,  so  straight  and  jointed,  can 
be  put  to  ! 

"  Bamboo- joints  can  be  used  for  bottles,  and  in  Borneo,  among 
the  Dayak's,  serve  as  cooking   vessels.      Then  the   tree  is   extensively 

used   for    building ;    for    masts   of  vessels,    also.     Baskets   are   plaited 

217 


2l8 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


from  thin  bamboo  strips, 
and  there  is  a  paper 
made  from  this  source 
in  China." 

"  And  Uncle  Nat  has 
a  bamboo  handle  to  his 
imibrella." 

The  jinrikishas  halted 
for  a  few  moments. 

"  Look  at  that  house," 
said  the  doctor.  "The 
outside  wall  is  of  Dam- 
boo  wattles  on  a  wooden 
frame,  filled  in  with  mud. 
Bamboo  is    a    crood    ser- 

o 

vant." 

"Who— who  is  that?" 
asked  Ralph.  ^'Astrawr 
man  coming  ?  " 

There  was  reason  for 
this  question.  A  peas- 
ant was  passing  them 
who  wore  a  rain-coat. 
The  straw  wisps  had  been 
ingeniously  arranged  into 
a  garment  that  fell  over  his  shoulders,  and  hung  down  about  his 
person.  A  bamboo-hat  was  on  his  head,  and  he  carried  a  bamboo- 
pole  over  his  shoulder.  Coarse,  thick  socks  were  on  his  feet,  and 
bound  to  these  were  rough,  heavy  clogs  of  wood. 

"  He  goes  on  little  crickets,   doesn't  he,  Ralph  ? "    whispered  Rick. 


RAIN-COAT. 


EASTERN    STKAW   GOODS. 


219 


THE  BAMBOO,  RAIN-COATS  AND  BLIND  MEN. 


221 


"  Yes,  and  it 
must  be  handy ; 
for  he  can  take 
off  his  crickets 
when  he  is  tired, 
and  sit  down  on 
them." 

"  Straw    gocds 
are  very  popular 
with     some    peo- 
ple,"   observed 
the  doctor,  '-and 
tliey  manufacture     \ 
straw    shoes    for     \ 
men    and    for     \ 
horses  also.  Then     : 
there     are    these 
straw    rain-coats, 
like  the  one  that 
man    wears,   and 
there    are    straw 
rain-mats.  In 

Niigata  they  make 
a  great  many 
clogs,  and  one 
street  is  almost 
entirely  devoted 
to   their  sale.'' 

On  their  way  back  to  the  Tokaido,  Uncle  Nat  called  the  attention  of 
the  boys  to  some  jjirds  over  in  the  fields : 


222  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

"  See,  boys,    those    storks !    and    there   is   a    heron. " 

"  Those   are   the  bh^ds   we   see    painted    so    much,"  said    Ralph. 

"  Yes ;  on  Japanese  ware  you  will  see  those  birds  frequently  intro- 
duced. They  are  much  admired  for  the  grace  of  their  flight  in  the  air," 
said    the    doctor. 

"  Japanese    birds,    I   notice,    don't    sing   much,  doctor." 

"  1  know  it,  captain.  I  can  hardly  tell  why,  but  they  don't  seem 
to   have   been   made   with   a    piano   in  the   throat." 

"Here  comes  something  that  will  interest  you,  boys,"  called  out 
Uncle  Nat,  when  they  had  regained  the  Tokaido.  "There  is  a 
whole  string  of  'em  coming."  It  was  indeed  a  "  string  of  'em." 
Eleven  bare-headed  blind  men  with  long  sticks  were  poling  their 
way  over  the  road.  Some  of  them  stooped  very  much.  One  man 
seemed  to  be  improving  his  opportunity  and  had  thrust  his  hand 
into  a  little  bag  that  his  neighbor  carried.  At  the  same  time  he 
had  turned  his  head  away  and  was  making  a  queer  face  at  the 
sky,  as  if  saying,  "  What  a  ninny  is  this  blind  man  next  me ! 
Pie  doesn't  know  what  is  going  on."  All  their  heads  were  shaved, 
their  legs  and  arms  were  bare,  and  as  they  poled  their  way  along 
they  cracked  their  jokes  and  laughed,  occasionally  whistling  in  chorus. 

"What   do    blind    people    in   Japan    do  for  a  living?"    asked  Rick. 

"  Well,  one  thing  is  to  shampoo  people,"  said  the  doctor.  "  When 
one  is  tired,  his  joints  sore,  a  blind  man  may  come  up,  whistling 
through  a  reed,  and  that  means  that  he  offers  his  services  as  a 
shampooer.  By  rubbing,  he  takes  the  weariness  and  soreness  out 
of  the  body.  Some  of  the  blind  are  musicians.  There  are  blind 
men  who  are  money-lenders.  It  might  seem  a  wonder  to  3011 
where  they  could  get  money;  but  they  pick  it  up,  and  lending  it, 
get  a  big  interest.  When  a  blind  man  is  anywhere  near  }ou  will 
be    likely   to   hear   a  shrill    whistle   from   him,    if   a   shampooer." 


THE  BAMBOO,  RAIN-COATS  AND  BLIND  MEN.  275 

The  blind  men  had  heard  the  jinrikishas,  and  were  now  scattering 
like  a  flock  of  sheep  at  the  coming  of  a  big  dog.  They  wera 
speedily   left   behind. 

Ralph  thought  of  a  visit  he  made  the  winter  previous  to  the"^ 
Institution  for  the  Blind  at  South  Boston,  Mass.  There  he 
saw  the  sightless  pupils  bending  over  their  books,  with  their  finger- 
tips feeling  their  way  along  the  curiously  raised  letters  into  a 
larger  knowledge,  —  "a  bigger  place  to  think  and  live  in,"  as  he  said. 
He  saw  the  work-shops  where  the  blind  .were  trained  to  an  acquaint- 
ance with  various  useful  occupations.  He  recalled  one  lady  who, 
guided  by  her  finger-tips,  read  for  him  several  verses  out  of  the 
blind  folks'  Bible.  Remembering  these  things,  Ralph  could  but  hope 
that  everywhere  the  blind  might  receive  an  education,  and  abo\'e 
'Ul   the   Gospel. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 


THE    RAIN. 


I 


AM  afraid    it    was    a    bad    omen, 
seeing     that     fellow     in    the    rain- 
coat.      The  rain  must,  be   coming,  for 
the     clouds    look     dark     and     watery 
enough/'  called   out   Uncle  Nat. 

Word  was  passed  to  the  jinrikislia- 
Ijearers  to  hurry  up  ;  and  away  they 
went  rapidly. 

"Hold  on!"  shouted  Uncle  Nat. 
"  Put   on   your  night-caps  ! " 

Ralph  and  Rick  knew  what  that 
meant. 

The  rimners  stopped,  and  chattering 

away,  raised  a  hood  of  oiled  paper  that 

went    with    each     jinrikisha,    securely 

covering    their   passengers.       A   chilly 

spring   rain   was    now    slanting    down 

in  heavy,  sweeping   lines.     Ralph   and 

Rick  for  awhile  enjoyed   a   ride   under 

their  "  night-caps,"  but  as  they   were   obliged  to  alight  several  times, 

either  for  lunching  or  consultation   about   the   way,    the    chilling    rain 

was  disagreeably  felt   by   them.     When   they   stopped   for   the   night. 

226 


A   HANDSOME   OliJECT. 


THE  KAIN. 


Halpli  said,  "Rick,  if  wc  could  only  get  to  a  good  warm  stove-fire, 
and  not  one  of  those  little  brazier  things,  wouldn't  it  be  nice  ?  If 
Ave  have  a  rain  at  home,  we  can  warm  up  good.  Oh  Rick,  do  you 
remember  Nan  Smith  we  saw  in  the  rain  near  our  house,  when  the 
wind  took  her  umbrella  and  turned  it  inside  out,  and  Bob  Gray 
laughed'  at    her  ?" 

Did  Rick  remember  ? 
He  had  not  ceased  to  laugh 
about  it  to  that  day, 
and  Ralph's  words  set  him 
to    giggling   again. 

"  Oh  we  had  the  fun  at 
home,  didn't  wcj  Ralph?" 

"Yes,  Rick,"  said  the 
shivering  Ralph.  "And 
didn't  they  have  nice 
stoves  in  Concord,  too  ? 
Good,  I  tell  you." 

The  boys  were  decid- 
edly out  of  sorts  with 
Japan  and  its  little  braziers. 

"  I  'spose.  Rick,"  said  Ralph,  "  we  must  go  into  a  paper-walled 
room  and  sit  down  on  our  legs  like  a  Japanese,  and  hold  out  our 
liands  over  a  few  coals,  and  try  to  catch  a  little  heat  in  them." 

".  Have   a    kotatsu,   a  kotatsu,  boys  ? "  inquired  the  doctor  cheerily. 

"  What's  that,  doctor,  the  Japanese  for  cigar  ? "  asked  Ralph. 
"  The  .  Rogers    brothers   never    smoke."  . 

"  I  am  glad  they  don't ;  but  they  sometimes  get  chilly  and  there's 
a   remedy   for    it.     Come    this    way,  please." 

"Does   ko - ko -tadstool   mean  a   cup  of  tea?"    inquired  Rick, 


BOB   GRAY   LAUGHED   AT   HER. 


228 


ALL  ABO  A  Jin  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


"  Come  this  way,  Rick.  Ralph  may  take  his  in  this  room,  but 
you  can  take  yours  in  the  next  room." 

"  His  what  ? " 

The  boys  were  very  curious.  A  servant  girl  entered,  bringing  in 
one  hand  a  shovel   of   hot  coals,  and  in   the   other  a  wooden   frame 


ni-meanMD 


THE  landlord's    DAUGHTER    PERFORMING   ON   THE   KO  J  U. 


and  quilt.  She  lifted  up  a  piece  of  matting  in  tlfe  floor,  and  there 
was  a  bowl  lined  with  stone.  Emptying  her  shovel  of  coals  into 
this  bowl,  she  set  the  frame  over  it,  and  then  laying  down  the  quilt 
she  left  the  room. 

"  Now,  Ralph,"  said  the  doctor,  "we  arc  all  ready." 

"  Goino;    to   bake    me  ?  " 

"  Not  quite ;    only  warm  you  up." 

'*  Oh,  it's  what  you   told  us  about ;  cremation  ?  " 


THE  RAIN. 


229 


<' You'll  see." 

Ralph  now  prepared  himself  for  this  "  oven,"  and  taking  a  seat 
on   the    frame,  wrapped    the   quilt    about   him. 

"  There,"  said  the  doctor,  watching  the  gratified  look  on  Ralph's 
face  ;  '•'  isn't   that   first-class  ?  " 

"  Oh  it's  bamboo-nice.      Get  you  a  ko-stad-stool.  Rick  !  " 

Rick  w^as  speedily  enjoying  his  turn,  and  as  they  were  in 
adjoining  rooms,  the  paper-walls  w^ere  slid  back,  and  the  boys  could 
talk  with  one  another  from  their  "  ovens."  America  was  now  for- 
gotten, and  also  old  Concord,  with  its  glorious  associations.  What 
was   it   the   boys  heard  —  music  ? 

"  Hear  that,  Rick !     The  band  is  out." 

"Doctor  \Yalton  said  our  landlord's  girl  was  a  musician,  and  I 
guess  she's  agoin'  it,  Ralph." 

The  landlord's  daughter  was  indeed  "  agoin'  it."  She  was  playing 
on  a  Japanese  instrument,  the  koto,  her  fingers  thrumming  the  strings 
of  waxed  silk  stretched  above   a  sounding-board  of  hard  wood. 

They  were  soon  ready  for  supper,  which  they  enjoyed  thoroughly. 

"  I  wish  I  could  get  used  to  Japanese  chop-sticks,  but  I  can't, 
doctor,"  said  Uncle  Nat;  "there's  nothing  like  home-tools  after  all, 
so  I  have  brought  out  knives  and  forks  as  usual,  from  my  bag ; 
but  it  is  encouraging  to  know  that  practice  makes  perfect.  I  read 
of  a  man  somewhere  in  the  East  who  had  broken  a  law,  and  this 
was  the  penalty :  to  sit  in  a  cask,  fastened  there,  only  his  head  and 
hands  sticking  out.  His  wife  had  come  up  to  feed  him.  On  her 
back  was  a  fat  little  baby  with  a  curious  long  top -knot.  That  wife 
would  run  a  pair  of  chop-sticks  into  a  little  bowl  of  rice,  and  then 
run  them  into  that  rogue's  open  mouth,  with  a  good  deal  of 
celerity." 

After  supper,  while   seated   around  the   brazier,  the  soft  light  of  the 


230 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


evening    lamp    falling   over  the  stork-decorated   walls,  the   boys   peti- 
tioned for  a  story. 

"  I'll   tell   you  three,    boys.     The  first   is   about   a   famous  Japanese 


CHOP-STICKS  FOR  ONE. 


hero,  Nitta  Yoshisada.  As  he  was  a  captain,  he  was  asked  to  aid 
in  a  rebellion  against  the  mikado ;  but  he  refused,  and  left  with  his 
men.  Then  he  raised  all  the  forces  he  could,  and  lifting  his  Imnner 
against  the  rebels,  resolved  to  attack  a  coveted  place,  Kamakura. 
The  road  to  it  passed  near  the  ocean,  and  the  evening  Ijefore  the 
intended  attack,  Nitta  made  a  speech  to  his  men  Ijy  the  sea-shore. 
Taking  off  his  helmet,  he  reminded  them  that  their  master,  the  mikado, 
had  been  driven  away  into  exile,  and  that  he  had  gathered  forces 
to  chastise  the  rebels.  He  then  made  a  prayer  to  the  god  of  the 
sea,  asking  him  to  look  into  Nitta's  heart,  and  bid  the  tide  flow 
back  and  open  a  path  for  his  army.     Then  he  bowed  himself.     Seizing 


THE  RAIN.  231 

his  sword,  he  dedicated  it  as  an  offering  to  the  gods,  and  cast  it  into 
the  tumbling  surf.  The  water  swallowed  up  the  golden-hilted 
sword. 

"  The  next  morning,  as  the  story  goes,  the  water  had  flowed  back, 
and  the  army  with  Nitta  at  its  head  tramped  on,  reaching  Kamakura, 
and  attacked  it  to  conquer  it.  The  story  has  been  a  favorite  one 
for  illustration  by  Japanese  artists  and  on  bank-notes  Nitta  has 
had  a  place.  The  truth  probably  is  that  Nitta  was  favored  by  a 
very  low  tide  and  so  reached  Kamakura.  It  is  a  little  suspicious 
that  he  did  not  find  his  sword,  when  the  tide  went  down  so  far  at  the 
god's  bidding. 

''  Now  here's  a  story  about  a  Japanese  god ;  only  a  little 
story,  to  tell  what  the  god  of  food  did  when  summoned  to  l)less 
the  earth  at  the  time  of  fitting  it  up.  Facing  the  land,  he 
breathed,  and  his  breath  became  boiled  rice ;  lookhig  towards  the 
sea,  he  breathed  again,  and  lo !  the  fish  came.  Then  he  turned  to 
the  hills  and  l)reatlied,  and  there  appeared  four-footed  creatures, 
some  with  coarse  hair,  like  bears,  and  some  with  fine  hair,  like 
rabbits.  The  god  was  doubtless  pleased  with  the  results  of  liis 
puffing ;  but  when  some  of  them  were  presented,  they  were  not 
acceptable  to  a  fault-finder,  Tskij-omi.  Tlie  latter,  not  liking  them, 
killed  the  enterprising  l^ut  unlucky  god  of  food.  But  this  food-god 
when  dead  even,  could,  not  seem  to  stop  his  work  of  creating;  for 
it  was  found  that  his  head  had  become  horses  and  oxen.  From 
his  forehead  grew  millet ;  silk-worms  were  coming  from  his  eye- 
])rows,  sorghum  from  his  eyes,  rice  from  his  bosom,  wheat  and 
beans  from  his  loins.  What  could  you  do  with  such  a  manufac- 
turing  machine  ?     And   now    may  I    tell   }'0u    a   temperance    story  ? 

"  Sosano,  famous  in  Japan  myths,  when  going  through  a  forest 
was    met    by    an    old    man,    an    old    woman    and    a    yoimg    woman. 


232  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

The  young  woman  was  crying  sadly.  Naturally,  it  attracted  Sosano's 
attention.  A  Japanese  lady  richly  dressed  —  her  hair  looped  and 
bowed  —  in  her  long  robe  and  her  big  obi,  sporting  her  fan  and 
her  umbrella,  gay  as  a  gaillardia-blossom,  is  quite  a  handsome 
object  anyway ;  and  when  a  woman  cries,  who  can  stand  it  ?  Sosano 
could  not.  He  learned  from  the  old  people  the  nature  of  the 
trouble :  that  the  young  woman  had  been  appointed  to  be  a  sacrifice 
to  an  eight-headed  serpent.  Sosano  at  once  offered  his  aid,  if  the 
reward  of  victory  could  be  the  young  woman  herself.  All  consent- 
ed He  filled  eight  big  tubs  with  •  that  fiery  drink,  sake.  On  wriggled 
the  eight-headed  monster,  but  when  he  saw  the  eight  tubs  he  smelt 
the  sake  and  stopped  Then  he  dipped  a  head  into  each  tub  and 
drank  up  every  drop  —  the  greedy  creature!  He  became  so  drunk  — 
so  boozy  drunk  —  that  Sosano  easily  killed  him.  So  Sosano  saved  a 
life  and  earned  a  wife.  He  gained  something  else,  also.  When  cutting 
up  the  big  snake,  Sosano  found  it  difficult  to  cut  through  the  tail  ; 
and  what  did  he  discover  when  he    succeeded   in  splitting   it,   but   a 

wonderful  suord   that   had  a    wonderful   name,    muraku  Oh,    T 

can't  pronounce  it,"  —  and  the  doctor  stopped  hopelessly  in  the 
middle  of  the   name. 

"  If,"  said  Ralph,  his  eyes  flashing,  '•  if  they  would  just  put  ruui 
to  that  use,  —  kill  snakes  with  it,  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  thing." 

"  So  do  I ;  and  this  story  is  the  first  instance  I  ever  knew  where 
any  good  came  from  stuff  like  whiskey,  when  taken  just  as  a  drink." 

"  The  Japanese  have  some  very  funny  ideas,  doctor,"  said  Uncle 
Nat. 

"'■  Yes,   some   interesting  ones,    certainly." 

'^  Oil,"  exclaimed  Ralph,  "I  wish  I  could  see  that  mat  —  the 
thing  you  spoke  about  to  me  to-day." 

^'  Matsuri  ?  " 


i-'       liiSii 


''lil'  'iJ"^'    J       ' 


B  % 


THE  RAIN.  235 

"Yes,  sir." 

"That  is  an  interesting  time  — a  festival.  A  matsuri-procession  \ 
once  saw  was  several  miles  long.  Gay  banners  were  displayed  in 
the  procession,  musical  instruments  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  legendary 
character  represented.  The  people  turned  out  in  holiday-clothes  to 
admire  the   show." 

It  was  a  bright  spring  day  when  Rogers  brothers    neared  Kiyotov 

As  they  journeyed  on  they  heard  the  notes  of  a  bell  —  rising,  fallings 
then  rolling  away  in  soft,  tuneful  echoes.    . 

"  That  reminds  me,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  there  is  a  big  temple- 
bell  here  in  Kiyoto  that  I  want  the  boys  to  hear.  Then  there  are 
shops  and  factories  to  be  seen.  It  is  a  big  place,  and  its  situation 
is  one  of  much  beauty.  The  mikado  once  had  his  residence  here.  It. 
is  known  as  the  sacred  city,  and  the  Japanese  are  proud  of  it." 

A  lot  of  sight-seeing  awaited  the  travellers.  Silks,  fans,  and  fine 
porcelain  are  turned  out  in  large  quantities,  and  the  Rogers -eyes- 
must  necessarily  look  into  these  things. 

"  That  bell,  doctor  !  "  said  Rick  the  second  day. 

"  Oh,  I  won't  forget  it." 

The  doctor  led  his  companions  to  a  temple  where  they  saw  an 
immense  bell.  It  was  struck  by  a  heavy  beam  swung  against  it 
by  a  row  of  men. 

"  There,  boys,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  could  stand  inside  that  bell, 
and  Uncle  Nat  stand  on  top  of  me,  and  we  could  each  afford  to 
wear  our  tallest  hat,  I  guess." 

When  struck,  what  tones  issued  from  it,  the  echoes  rolling  far  off ! 
They  visited  another  temple,  and  Ralph  noticed  a  peculiarity  needing 
explanation. 

"  What    are    those    spit-balls    stuck    all    over    the    idols  ? " 

"  Spit-balls !      Oh,  there  are  prayers  on  those  papers.      People  have- 


236  ALL  ABOARD  J'OR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

chewed  written  prayers  rolled  them  up  into  a  ball,  and  then  thrown 
them  at  the  god.  He  is  freckled  all  over  with  them  ;  but  he  seems 
to  be  no  worse  for  it,  and  the  worshippers  feel  all  the  better,  for 
they  are  sure  then  that  the  prayers  have  reached  him." 

"Doh't  you  think,  Rick,"  asked  Ralph,  "it  would  be  a  good 
idea  to  give  a  god  an  immense  ear  and  let  the  balls  drive  at  that  ? 
He  would  be  all  the  surer  to  get  the  prayers." 

"  Oh  Ralph,  his  ear  would  soon  be  all  filled  up,  and  he'd  be  deaf 
as  a  haddock.  I  guass  what  the  doctor  said  was  the  way  is  the 
best :  to  freckle  him  all  over." 

Lake  Biwa,  not  far  from  Kiyoto,  was  visited.  It  is  a  beautiful 
body  of  water,  and  an  attractive  spot  for ,  excursionists. 

The  next  city  seen  by  Uncle  Nat  &  Co.  was  Osaka,  and  the  steam 
cars  carried  them  to  it. 

"  We  leave  Old  Japan  for  the  New,"  said  the  doctor,  "  riding  b}-  cars." 

"And  the  exchange  seems  good,"  declared  the  captain. 

"  We  have  a  railroad  between  Tokiyo  and  Yokohama,  and  one 
in  this  neighborhood  joining  Kobe,  Osaka,  Kiyoto  and  Otsu ;  only 
«eventy-six  miles  in  all.     They  are  extending  this  last  railroad." 

Rick  sent  his  mother  a  letter  telling  her  what  he  thought  ol' 
Osaka. 

"  This  is  a  big  place,  I  tell  you,  mother,  and  I  guess  as  many  as  three  hundred 
thousand  people  must  live  here.  There  is  a  river  and  there  are  canals 
and  there  are  lots  of  bridges,  and  tlie  doctor,  he  knows  a  lot  I  tell  you, 
he  says  there  are  heaps  of  wickedness  here.  We  went  down  to  a  place 
and  saw  some  children  playing  in  the  water  and  trying  to  fish.  I  saw  a 
crab  on  the  rocks  that  they  tried  to  get  off.  My!  If  I  ain't  glad  I  was 
brought  up  in  Concord  and  didn't  have  my  head  shaved  !  After  we  had 
seen  Osaka,  we  came  to  Kobe  where  we  are  now.  It  is  not  so  big  as 
Osaka,  only  forty  thousand  people  counting  in  Hiogo,  the  native  quarter, 
^jut  there  are  many  of  our  folks  here   and   so   it   seems  quite  natural.     1'iiis 


THE  RAIN. 


239 


is  one  place  where  foreigners  (like  me  and   Ralph)   have  a  chance  to  trade 
and   live.      There   are   only    seven   of  these    places.       Lots    of  tea   and   silk 
are   brought  here  to  be   sent   to  the  people   outside,  and   perhaps    I  saw   in 
tlie   street  to-day  a  chest   of  tea  that  will    get  to  Boston  and  you  may  buy 
a  pound  out  of  it.     There  are  good  many  vessels  here,  and   some  American, 
English  and   French  men-of- 
war.     We  saw  a  man-of-war, 
and  a  boat  was  alongside  of 
her    and     the    sailors    were 
holding  up  their  oars.     That 
is  a  mark  of  respect  to  some- 
body, and  Ralph  said  it  was 
to   us   who   were   near  there 
in   a   boat.      Funny,  isn't  it, 
to  be  in  a  sea-port  and   not 
have  any  wharves  like  Bos- 
ton ?      They  have   to   carry 
goods  off  to  the  ships.     Tlien 
to    carry   people,   they   have   littl 
that  we  foreigners  call  sampans  an 
only  asked  ten  cents  to  carry  our 
out  to  see  a  vessel !     Real  cheap. 
3'ou  and  Nurse  Fennel  could  have  a  ride !     To- 
morrow, we  are  going  on  board  Uncle  Nat's  ship, 
the  Antelope.     I  think  I  shall  like  it,  but  I  know  I  shall  miss  Siah  and  Jack 
Bobstay   and   Joe   Pigtail  "  (here  especially  to   the    memory   of  Joe    Pigtail 
from  whom  parting  had  been  so  painful,  Rick  gave  a  deep  sigh,  deep,  deep  as 
the  lowest  button  on  his  jacket).     "  Oh  I  believe  I  am  about  through,  mother. 
Oh    I    want   to  say  something  more  about  those  children   I   saw  fishing.     I 
liope  you  will  let  me  fish  when  I  get  home,  all  I  want  to.     You  know  I  used 
to  make   believe  last   summer,  sitting  on    a   bank  and    holding   a   pole    over 
fioston     Harbor.        If     there     had     only    been     a    hook    and    line    on    my 
i^tick  ! " 


MARK   OF   RESPECT. 


24c 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


"  The  idea ! "  said  his  mother,  when  she  had  gone  through  RickV 
scrawl,  putting  in  the  punctuation  marks  somewhat  as  they  stand 
above.  "  If  I  had  known  that,  I  could  not  have  had  a  moment's 
peace."  And  she  tried  to  picture  to  herself  how  Rick  must 
have  looked  suspending  a  stick  over  the  fair  blue  waters  of  Boston. 
Harbor ! 


UNCLE   NAT'S   FAVORITE   JINRIKISHA. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


SPREADING    CANVAS    FOR   AUSTRALIA. 


"  I  ^HERE'S  the  Antelope,  boys,"  exclaimed  Uncle  Nat  enthusiastically  ; 
-■■     and  he  stood  up  in  the  sampan  carrying  them,  while  its  tanned, 
bony-armed  proprietor  stopped  sculling  and  looked  off  with  the  othens 
to  enjoy  the  sight  of  that  swift  sea-runner. 

"  There  she  is,  boys,  doctor,  and  the    old   flag  is  up  too !      Doesn't 
that  look  good  ? "  asked  Uncle  Nat. 


241 


242  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Three  cheers  for  the  Antelope,''  shouted  Rick.     "  Hur  —  " 

"Three  cheers,"  shouted  Ralph,  "for  the  flag.     Hur  — " 

"  Three  cheers,"  shouted  the  doctor,  "  for  the  brave  captain  of 
the   Antelope.     Hur  —  " 

"  Three  cheers  for  the  distinguished  passengers,"  shouted  the  cap- 
tain.    "Hur — " 

"  Three  cheers  for  us  all,"  modestly  inserted  Ralph ;  and  these 
were  given. 

The  bare-headed  sculler  of  the  sampan  shared  in  the  jubilee  as 
well  as  he  could,  and  when  the  others  lifted  their  hats,  Uncle  Nat 
saw  him  involuntarily  raising  his  hand  to  his  head,  but  forgetting 
the  destitution  of  a  hat,  he  grabbed  the  first  thing  handy,  and  gave 
his  top-knot  such  a  vigorous  pull  that  the  expression  of  his  face 
changed  from  joy  to  disgust.  The  extra  fee  that  Uncle  Nat  con- 
siderately gave  him  was  like  the  application  of  a  very  soothing  plaster 
to  the  sore  spot  on  his  scalp,  and  he  bobbed  and  chuckled  excitedly. 

"  And  this  is  the  Antelope"  said  Ralph,  preparing  to  mount  the 
vessel's  side.  But  whom  was  Ralph  looking  at  ?  His  face  was  directed 
toward  the  bows  of  the  vessel.  Was  some  one  standing  there  and 
nodding  to  him  ? 

"  My,  Rick,  if  that  ain't  Siah  and  Jack  Bobstay  !  "  exclaimed  Ralph. 

Returning  Ralph's  gaze,  and  coming  now  toward  the  ship's  gangway, 
were  the   two  old  acquaintances  met  on  board   the  Cit^j  of  Tokio. 

"  Halloo,  Siah !  That  you  ?  And  halloo,  Mr.  Bobstay  !  "  shouted 
Rick. 

In  about  three  seconds  more,  Ralph  and  Rick  had  climbed  the 
Antelopes  ladder  and  were  advancing  toward  Siah  and  Jack. 

"  Siah,  where   did  you  come   from  ? " 

'^  Oh,    I's    dropped  down    kind-er-easy." 

"  And  how  did  you  get  here  ?  "  asked  Rick,  addressing  Jack  Bobstay. 


SPREADING  CANVAS  FOR  AUSTRALIA.  243 

"  Oh,  I  fetched  up  here  and  anchored  all  right.  You  ask  your 
uncle,  the  captain." 

Uncle  Nat  was  jubilantly  walking  about  the  deck,  exclaiming: 
-'^  There,  this  is  something  like !  I  like  to  feel  something  solid  under 
me ;  "  and  he  stamped  with  his  foot.  "  I  would  give  more  for  two 
feet  of  ship's  plank  —  just  enough  to  stand  on — than  for  all  the 
Jim-Ricker-Shayses  between  here  and  Cape  Cod.  This  is  my  style 
of  carriage  ;  my  favorite  jinrikisha.  What  did  you  say,  Ralph  ?  You 
want  to  know  how  I  got  your  two  friends  here  ?  That  was  a  secret 
and  surprise  for  you  two  boys  I  have  been  keeping  all  the  way 
from  Yokohama.  I  told  Siah  and  Jack  when  we  left  them  there 
that  I  expected  to  turn  up  eventually  in  Kobe,  and  my  ship  would 
be    there ;  and  if   they   wanted  a   job,  that    I  would   give  them  one." 

"  And  here  we  are,"  replied  Jack,  "  turning  up  all  right,  like  a 
new  ship  with  masts  in,  and  sails  bent,  and  jest  about  ready  for 
sea." 

"  Oh,  ain't  this  splendid  ! "  said  Ralph  to  Rick ;  "  Siah  here.  Jack 
Bobstay,  the  doctor  and  Uncle  Nat." 

"  We  will  go  soon,"  said  Uncle  Nat ;  "  I  want  my  mail."  That 
came  from  Yokohama. 

''  Japan  has  a  postal  service,"  explained  the  doctor,  "  and  summer 
before  last  it  was  reported  that  over  forty-seven  millions  of  letters 
and  other  pieces  of  postal  matter,  including  almost  ten  millions  of 
newspapers,  had  been  sent  through  the  post  the  year  before.  The 
post  office  savings  banks  did  number  about  three  hundred,  and  there 
are  more  now  probably." 

Two  days  from  that  time,  the  Antelo'pe  that  had  for  the  past 
fortnight  been  loading  under  the  supervision  of  Uncle  Nat's  first 
officer,  was  ready  for  sea  ;  and  receiving  Rogers  brothers  and  friends, 
she  weighed  anchor.     Leaving  behind  her  the  men-of-war,  the  merchant 


244 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


vessels,  the  clumsy  junks,  the  little  sampans,  the  Antdoj)e  steadily 
puslied  her  way  out  of  harbor.  The  boys  watched  awhile  the  retreating 
houses  and  lessening  shipping  of  Kobe,  the  hills  of  green  that  walled 
in   the   spot   and   now    began  to   dwindle,    and    then    they   turned   to 


;,i\£-;:«^ 


v^ 


ENTRANCE  TO   SUWO   NADA. 


look  in  the  direction  of  the  water.  Uncle  Nat  was  busy  at  hif» 
post,  giving  directions  in  his  energetic  way ;  but  the  doctor  was  with 
the  boys,  to  answer"  any  questions  he  could. 

"  If  we  had  the  time,  Ralph  and  Rick,  we  might  go  from  here  across 
the  Inland  Sea.  It  is  encircled  by  many  islands  of  Japan,  and  is 
more  like  a  big  lake  than  a  sea." 

"How   big   is  it?"  asked  Ralph. 

"  It  is  not  far  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  it 
is  from  ten  to  thirty  miles  in  width.  There  are  many  islands  in 
the  Inland  Sea.  The  most  of  them  have  good  soil  and  are  well 
cultivated.  In  a  voyage  across  the  sea,  my  attention  was  specially 
called  to  one  island,  that  must  have  been  from  five  hundred  to  a 
thousand  feet  high  ;  and  it  was  terraced   for  crops.     The  Japanese  are 


SPREADING  CANVAS  FOR  AUSTRALIA 


^45 


good  farmers  and  know  how  to  use  their  land  to  advantage.  On 
that  island  they  probably  were  cultivating  rice  —  what  they  call 
the  upland  variety ;  and  barley  also.  Many  people  live  on  the 
shores  ~  of  the  Inland  Sea,  and  I  think  it  has  a  coast  seven  hundred 
miles  long.     It   has   been   called   the   Mediterranean  of  Japan." 

"What    is  the    Suwo    Nada  ? "  inquired  Ralph. 

"  That   is   a  part   of   the    Inland  Sea." 

^'  I   wish   we    could    cross    this    sea,"   said    Rick. 

**  We  are   going   to  Australia,  and  must  bear  away  in  a    southerly 


€J. 


A   CELEBRATION    BY  THE    SPIDKR-KAMILY. 

direction,  going  through  the  channel  of  Kii  into   the  Pacific   ocean." 
"It  must  be  pleasant  sailing  in  the  Inland  Sea,"  said  Ralph. 
"Yes/'    said    the    captain,    joining    the   party;     "I    can    testify   to 


246  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

that,  and  yet  the  Inland  Sea  lias  its  trials.  A  mischievous  little 
creature  makes  its  home  in  this  sea ;  some  kind  of  mollusk,  and  he 
has  a  borer  and  will  bore  holes  in  timber  a  third  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  If  any  mollusk  should  be  in  these  parts,  the  Antelojye  is 
in   no    danger.     She  is  well  sheathed." 

No,  neither  mollusk  below  or  storm  above  seemed  to  be  menacing. 
Under  the  quiet  sunny  sky  of  Japan,  there  stretched  out  one  placid 
surface  of  silver. 

Ralph  and  Rick,  tired  of  sight-seeing,  went  into  the  cabin  of  the 
Antelope  and  began  to  look  about  them.  » 

"  A   mollusk  !  "  shouted   Rick. 

"  Nonsense  !     It's  only  a  spider." 

"  Only  !  There  is  a  number  of  them  up  in  that  corner-web  kif  king 
about." 

"  Kicking  about !  Well,  it's  spring,  and  they  probably  feeJ  like 
celebrating ;    same  as  their   brothers    and   sisters    on    U'^d." 


BOUND   FOR  AUSTRALIA. 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

THE    ANTELOPE. 


•^  I  ^HE  boys  were  very  enthusiastic  over  the  Antelope,  and  as  soon 
-^  as  Uncle  Nat  was  at  liberty,  he  showed  them  about  the  ship. 
There  was  much  to  be  learned;  for  the  boys'  previous  visit  to  the 
Antelope  had  been  very  hurried,  and  they  had  obtained  little  knowl- 
edge of  this  courier  bound  for  parts  farther  south. 

"  The  cabin  seems  like  a  house   right  upon   the   deck,"   said    Rick. 

"  Certainly,  Rick ;  and  one  name  for  it  is  that  of  the  after  house. 
It  is  for  the  captain  and  any  passengers  we  have,  and  sometimes 
the  officers.  Now  look  around.  You  see  this  little  house  is  divided 
into  two  rooms.  First,  one  comes  into  the  forward  cabin,  and  in 
the  rear,  is  the  after  cabin.  There,  in  the  after  cabin,  are  our 
quarters." 

"  Ours,  uncle  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  there  will  be  passengers  in  the  two  empty  state-rooms." 

"  How  nice  it  is  !  " 

It  did  look  pretty,  for  Uncle  Nat  had  ordered  it  to  be  newly  painted 
and   furnished  for   the  voyage.     A   bright  Brussels  carpet  was  on  the 

247 


p^S  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

3oor,    and    as  its   prevailing   colors   were   scarlet,    gold   and   black,    it 
was  a  showy  affair.     On  the  starboard  side  of  the  cabin,  was  a  lounge 
covered   with   scarlet   rep.     There  were  also  a  few   chairs,  and   a  cir- 
cular table   that  had  a  white  marble  top.     On  one  wall  was  a  looking- 
glass,    and    opposite   was    Uncle    Nat's   trusty   barometer.      Overhead, 
was   a  sky-light,   and  swinging   down  from   it   was   a   lamp;    and  u^i 
in  the  sky-light,  secure  to  its  frame,  was  also  a  clock. 
"  What   is    the   clock   up   there   for,  Uncle  Nat  ? " 
"  When  you  are  on  the  house,  you  can  look  down   and  see  it." 
On  the  house !     Rick  knew  where  he  would  spend  his  time.     "  Up 
on  its  ridge-pole  too/'  he  said,  "  if  it  has  one." 

"  I  should  think  the  waves  would  break  in  the  sky-light,  uncle." 
"  So  they  would,  Ralph,  if  we'd  let  'em ;  but  we  have  shutters 
with  which  we  cover  the  windows,  and  then  the  water  may  smash 
upon  it  all  it  pleases.  We  generally  have  a  motto  up  in  the  cabin, 
and  I  guess  I  will  get  it  now.  See  here  !  Come  into  my  clam-shell !  " 
Uncle  Nat's  "  clam-shell "  was  a  state-room  just  beyond  the  scarlet- 
covered  lounge.  It  was  larger  than  the  other  state-rooms,  having 
a  bigger  berth,  under  which  were  drawers.  A  desk  of  black  walnut 
was  there  also. 

"  Here  is  our  motto,  and  I  will  take  it  out  and  hang  it  now." 
Rick   read   the    motto    in    its    neat    gilt   frame :     "  God   bless    our 
ship." 

"  That   is   a   good   one,"    thought   Rick. 

"  And  now  do  you  want  to  see  your  clam-shell  ? "  asked  Uncle 
Nat,  opening  a  state-room  door.  Ralph  and  Rick  sprang  delightedly 
forward.  Rick   exclaiming  :    "  Isn't   it   cunning  ? " 

It  contained  two  berths,  one  above  the  other.  In  one  comer  was 
a  stand  for  a  wash-bowl,  and  on  the  wall  .was  a  little  looking-glass. 
On   the   floor  was   a   strip  of  carpet  like  that  in  the  cabin.      Above 


THE  ANTELOPE. 


249 


the  upper  berth,  was  a  little  window  allowing  the  light  to  come  in. 
and  allowing  a  passenger  to  look  out. 

"  And  we  eat  out  —  " 

"  In   the  forward  cabin,  Ralph.     That    is  not   so   important  as  the 
question    whether 
we  have  anything 
to  eat." 

"Ah,  I'll  risk 
Uncle  Nat  for 
that." 

"I  don't  know 
about  that.  The 
dining-table  is  in 
the  forward  cabin, 
and  let  us  take  a 
look  at  it.  Are 
you  hungry, 
boys?:' 

The  boys  con- 
fessed they  were 
a  little.  They 
had  taken  an  early 
breakfast     ashore, 

and  by  this  time  were  longing  for  dinner.  Going  into  the  foi-- 
ward  cabin,  they  saw  a  long  dining-table  of  black  walnut,  with  strips 
about  a  foot  apart  running  its  entire  length. 

"  What  are  those  strips  for,  uncle  ?  " 

"  Those,  Ralph,  are  to  keep  the  dishes  in  their  places.  When  the  ship 
is  uneasy,  away  would  go  our  dishes  to  right  and  left  if  we  did  not 
fence  them  in.     Tlien  overhead  is  that  rack,  and  there  after  dinner,  we 


WHAT    FOR    DINNER  ? 


250  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

can  set  our  castors  and  tumblers  —  fitting  into  those  holes,  you  see. 
Halloo,  the  cook  has  been  in,  and  begun  to  set  the  dishes  on  for 
dinner.  I  wonder  what  we  are  going  to  have  !  Probably  bean  soup, 
salt  horse,  and  some  kind  of  pie." 

"  Salt  horse,  uncle  ?  " 

"  You  ask  the  cook,  Rick ; "  and  Uncle  Nat  here  winked  his  eye 
mysteriously. 

"And  what  is  this  mast?"  asked  Ralph,  pointing  to  a  stout  mast 
coming  down  through  the  cabin. 

"  That  is  the  mizzen  mast,  boys.  You  must  learn  the  names  of  the 
masts.  This  is  the  mizzen  mast  toward  the  stern,  and  then  comes  the 
mainmast ;  and  the  one  toward  the  bows  is  the  foremast.  And  now  —  " 
Uncle  Nat  here  went  to  a  door  in  the  corner  of  the  cabin,  and  opening 
it,  added :  "Do  you  want  to  see  our  pantry  ?  Below,  you  see  lockers 
where  we  stow  our  stores,  canned  goods,  and  so  on.  Above,  are  shelves 
for  the  crockery ;  and  you  see  we  have  to  fence  it  in,  like  the  dishes  on 
the  table.  We  hang  our  mugs  on  that  row  of  hooks  along  the  edges 
of  the  shelves.  In  that  corner,  you  see  a  cupboard.  Now,  instead  of 
looking  at  dishes,  you  shall  have  what  goes  in  the  dishes ;"  and  Uncle 
Nat  led  them  out  into  the  cabin,  where  dinner  was  now  ready. 

Every  hour  the  Antelope  was  making  good  progress. 

"  She  is  stretching  her  legs,"  said  Uncle  Nat. 

"Only  instead  of  putting  her  legs  down  into  the  water,  she  puts 
them  up  into  the  air,  and  goes  that  way,"  replied  Rick. 

Every  hour  he  grew  more  and  more  fond  of  the  ship ;  patting  the 
vessel's  side  that  afternoon,  he  whispered,  "  Dear  old  Antelojje ! " 

Feet  up  -or  feet  down,  the  Antelope  seemed  to  sniff  the  cool  sea- 
breezes  blowing  across  the  water,  and  raced  still  harder. 


CHAPTER     XXYI. 


THE    WIDE    SEA. 


"on  a  hogshead,  to  see  me  off." 


"D  ALPH  and  Rick 
-^  ^  both  had  a  touch 
of  sea-sickness ;  and 
Ralph  said  he  felt  as 
if  the  Antelope  were  in- 
side of  him,  tossing  and 
pitching,  rather  than 
outside.  But  the  at- 
tack soon  passed  away. 
Rick  set  out  on  an  ex- 
ploring expedition,  and 
this  time  he  proceeded 
to  hunt  up  the  sailors' 
quarters.  They  were 
in  the  "  forward  house," 
near  the  bows  of  the 
vessel,  and  correspond- 
ing with  the  cabin. 

"  What's  here  ?  "  ask- 
ed Rick,  spying  a  door 
open. 


He  put  in 


i    HOGSHEAD,    TO   SEE    ME   OFF. 

open. 

his  head,  and  saw  the  quarters  fitted  up  for  the  officersj 

251 


252  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

resembling  the  state-rooms    in   the    cabin,  but   fitted    in    plainer   sty]«- 

"  And  what  next  ?  "  asked  the  explorer. 

In  the  rear  of  the  officers'  quarters  were  open  doors,  from  which 
escaped  a  warm  savory  smell ;  and  while  the  ever-hungry  Rick  was 
enjoying  it,  a  dark  face  suddenly  popped  out.  Popping  out,  it  then 
popped  in  again,  as  if  the  owner  had  taken  a  sudden  look  at  sea  and 
sky  to  ascertain  the  weather,  and  then  had  retired  to  private  life  again. 
It  was  a  funny  head  ;  both  black  and  bald,  save  where  two  little  woolly 
knobs  of  white  hair  projected  back  of  the  ears. 

"  That  must  be  '  Old  Bumble-bee,'  the  cook,"  thought  Rick ;  and  he 
retreated . 

The  cook's  real  name  was  Solomon  Bumble  ;  but  the  crew  preferred 
to  call  him  "  Old  Bumble-bee." 

"  You  can  launch  that  name  easier  than  t'other,"  explained  Jack 
Bobstay  to  the  boys ;  then  he  said  in  a  whisper,  "  It  is  also  in  accord- 
ance with  the  facts;  for  the  old  cook  has  a  stinger,  which  he  knows 
how  to  use." 

Uncle  Nat  had  also  told  the  boys  that  the  cook  was  "  a  bit  testy," 
and  he  would  not  keep  him,  "  but  '  Old  Bumble-bee '  gets  nice  messes 
for  the  table.;  and  then  you  see,  boys,  we  have  to  put  up  with  some- 
thing in  everybody,  and  with  a  good  deal  in  ourselves,  which  I  some- 
times forget ;  but  I  certainly  want  to  remember  it." 

The  cook  having  once  examined  the  sea  and  sky,  had  now  put  his 
head  out  again.  Giving  one  look  at  Rick,  he  retreated  into  his  palace 
a  second  time,  shutting  the  door.  Rick  now  went  to  find  Jack 
Bobstay. 

"  And  is  Boson  glad  to  be  at  sea  again  ? "  asked  the  old  tar. 

"  Oh  yes."  ■ 

"  I  remember  my  going  off  in  a  ship  my  first  voyage.  My  aunt  was 
there,  and  she  stood  her  younger  son  on  a  hogshead  to  see  me  off.      I 


THE    WIDE  SEA. 


255 


can  see  him  waving  his  hat  now.     Are  yen  goin'  to  make  a  sailor  ?  '* 

"  I  don't  know." 

Judging  by  appearances,  it  would  seem  as  if  Rick  intended  to  be 
a  cook,  so  persistently  did  he  haunt  "Bumble-bee's"  quarters,  trying 
to  get  in. 

"  Jolly  !  "  thought  Rick  the  next  day  ;  "  that  door  is  open  ;  "  and  into 
the  mysterious  sanctum  he  triumphantly  stole.  "  Now  I  am  going  to 
see  what  things  are  like  in  such  a  place.  Long  and  narrow ;  but  then, 
it  must  be  snug  and  warm,  on  a  cold  day.  Two  doors  too  ;  one  on 
each  side." 

Rick  continued  to  look  about  and  talk  to  himself. 

"  Here  is  the  stove ;  and  Avhat  a  big  black  one  !  It  has  got  an  iron 
railing  all  round  the  top  ;  that's  to  keep  the  pots  and  kettles  from 
sliding  off.  And  there's  a  sink  next  the  range,  where  '  Bumble-bee ' 
must  wash  his  dishes ;  and  on  the  other  side  there  seems  to  be  a  locker 
for  dishes  and  so  on ;  "  and  he  opened  the  door  and  peeped  in.  '^  Oh, 
there's  a  seat  opposite  the  range,  where  a  fellow  can  sit  down.  And 
here's  a   door  open.     What's  here  ?  " 

It  was  a  smoky  little  room,  on  the  same  side  of  this  retreat  as  the 
seat,  and  it  contained  a  single  berth,  whose  bedding  testified  to  long 
and  frequent  occupancy.     Here,  Rick  heard  a  footstep   approaching. 

"  Which  door  shall  I  run  out  of  ?  I  guess  I  will  take  this  one," 
and  out  he  popped  into  "  Bumble-bee's  "  arms  !  The.  meeting  was  very 
affectionate  at  first,  but  "  Old  Bumble-bee  "  recoiled. 

Rick  then  saw  that  he  was  smoking  —  vigorously  smoking  —  and  it 
seemed  as  if  the  cloud  of  smoke  rolling  up  from  his  pipe  had  whitened 
bis  knoDs  of  hair. 

"  Ugh  !  "  he  growled ;  "  I  don't  'low  nobody  in  dar,  'cept  de  cap'n 
orders  it." 

Rick  humbly  retreated. 


254 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


"  Sides,  it  will  be  gettin'  hot 
in  here  and  might  roast  ye." 

'■  Oh,  I  can   stand   considera- 
ble, Mr.  —  Mr.  —  Bumble-bee." 

Rick,  in  his  anxiety  to  "  mis- 
ter "  the  cook,  had  forgotten  to 
call  him  by  his  right  name. 

"Who  tole  ye  to  call  me 
dat  way  ?  "  he  asked  testily. 
"Oh  — I  mean  Mr.  Bumble." 
"  Dat  sounds  more  'spectful." 
Bumble-bee,  though  propi- 
tiated, did    not      feel     inclined 


to    let   the    boy  stay. 

"I  must  be  gwine 
now,  and  lock  up  !  " 

I     am      hungry," 
said  Rick  pitifully. 

"  You     must     wait       ^ 
for  your  supper." 

"Don't  you  have 
anything  left  over 
when  we  have  eaten 
dinner  ?  " 

"  I  gibes  it  to  de 
fishes  ;  dat  is,  de  leav- 


in's." 


That  closed  the  last   door  of  hope,  and  Rick  moved  out  of  Bumble- 


THE    WIDE  SEA.  255 

bee's  dingy  palace,  and  began  an  investigation  in  the  unvisited  portion 
of  the  forward  house.-  To  the  explorer's  delight,  he  found  an  open 
door  near  the    bows  of  the  vessel. 

^"  It  must  be  the  forecastle,"  exclaimed  Rick ;  and  he  thrust  in 
his  inquisitive  head.  "  Who  is  that  so  chunky  sitting  on  a  chest  ? " 
he  thought. 

The  ''  chunky  "  sailor  turned  and  sang  out  merrily,  "  Ho !  Boson,  you 
here  ? " 

"  And  you  here,  Mr.  Bobstay  ?  " 

"  Of  course.     Come  in   and  see   Old  Neptin  in  the  forec'stle." 

"  This  is  the  for-  for  -  castle  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  don't  you  see  the  sleeping-places  ? " 

There  were  twelve  berths  round  the  dusky  little  hole. 

"  Well,  where   do   you   sit  ?     Don't  you  have   chairs  ? " 

"  Saltpetre  !  what  a  boson.  We  sit  on  these  'ere  kids,"  and  Jack 
slapped   the   battered   blue    chest   he    occupied. 

Rick  saw  three  little  windows,  admitting  a  kind  of  twilight  into 
the  forecastle ;  and  a  funnel-hole  above  showed  that  a  stove  had.  been 
there    some   time. 

'^  And  this  is   all  ? "   asked   Rick. 

"  All  ?     Yes  ;  did  you  expect  more  ?  " 

Rick  did  not  answer,  but  inquired  for  Siah. 

"  Siah  ?   .  There  is  his  berth,  but  I   don't  know  where  the  occupant 

IS. 

Rick  here  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  brilliant  little  picture  of  a  forest 
in  autumn,  and  pinned  it  to  the  dingy  wall. 

"  There  !     Doesn't  that  look  better  ?  " 

"  Boson  goin'  to  brighten  and  fix  up  this  old  hole  ?  "  Jack  Bobstay 
laughed  at  the  idea.  Those  dirty  walls,  the  blackened  funnel-hole, 
the  disorderly  berths,  did  seem  so  forlorn ! 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


MAN  AT  THE  WHEEL  AND  MAN  IN  THE  MOOX. 


TT7H0  is  that  steering?"  asked  Rick  one  morn- 

^  '     ing,  catching  a    glimpse  of  a  man's  head  aft 

of  the  cabin. 

"He  is  the  man  at  the  wheel,"    said   Ralph    in 

tones  of  pride  at  his  vast  nautical  information. 

"  No,  it    ain't.     It    is  Jack    Bobstay." 

That   magical   name    started   up    both    of    the 

boys,  and  they  flew  along,  taking  different 

^^      sides   of  the    ship,   aiming,  though,    at   the 

same    beloved    object,    Jack    Bobstay,   and 

^p  colliding  with  him   in'  a   style  of  so  much 

emphatic    affection    that  "  the  man  at  the 

wheel "  was  almost  knocked  over. 

"  Come,  youngsters,"    roared   Jack   good-naturedly,    "  you   are   wuss 

than  a  squall  of  wind  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay." 

"Excuse  us,"  said  Ralph.    "We  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  to  you." 

'"Good    deal     of     the     gentleman    about    them     rough-and-tumble 

youngsters,"  thought  Jack. 

"  What's  this  ?  "  asked  Rick,  eying  something  he  did  not  understand. 

It  was  a   case   fastened   to  the   cabin-wall,    and    divided   into   little 

compartments.     In   one   was  a  clock ;  in  a  second,  a  lamp ;  and  in   a 

third,  a  compass. 

256 


THE   CHRONOMETER. 


MAN  AT  THE   WHEEL  AND  MAN  IN  THE  MOON  257 

"  What  is  that  ?  The  binnacle,  we  call  it.  It  is  handy,  you  know, 
when   you    are  steerin',  night  as  well  as  day." 

"  But  I  should  think  the  sea  in  a  gale  of  wind  would  wash  into 
those  places  and  break  the  things." 

"  Oh,  there  are  little  wooden  slides  —  don't  you  see  'em  ?  We  clap 
'em  right  over  the  binnacle,  and  she's  tight  as  a  ship  right  after  the 
calkin'  and  paintin.'  Then  you  see  that  bell  next  you  ?  Right  over 
the  binnacle,  I  mean  ;  and  you  sometimes  hear  it  a-goin'.  I  am  the  one 
when  steerin'  to  watch  the  clock,  and  strike  the  —  " 

''  Oh  I  know  what  that  is,"  said  Ralph,  anxious  to  show  that  he 
did   know  some  things.     "And  I've  seen   a  chromo — " 

"  A  chromo  ?     Them  were  very  fashionable  last  time  I  was  at  home." 

"I  mean  Uncle  Nat's  chromom  — " 

"  Oh  chronometer !      Yes,  yes,  you're  right,"  said  Jack,  kindly. 

"  And  Uncle  Nat  said  he'd  show  it  about  this  time,"  affirmed  Ralph, 
rather  glad  to  retreat,  and  take  with  him  his  chagrin  at  his  mistake. 
A  rush  for  Uncle  Nat  was  now  made  by  Rogers  brothers,  and  they  found 
him  in  the  cabin  bending  over  his  chronometer. 

''  Oh  boys,  you  here  ?  I  believe,"  he  said,  raising  his  eyes  to  the 
clock,    ''  I  said  I  would  show  you    my  chronometer  about  this  time." 

"Why,  it  is  a  big  watch,  uncle?" 

'•  Yes,  Ralph,  only  it  keeps  time  much  better  than  watches  generally. 
Great  pains  are  taken  with  it,  and  the  intention  is  to  have  it  as 
perfect  as  possible.  You  see  it  is  put  in  a  good,  first-class  box,  and  no 
matter  how  much  the  ship  rolls,  the  chronometer  is  set  so  as  always 
to  stay  level." 

Having  seen  Uncle  Nat's  "  chromo,"  Ralph  was  now  anxious  to  see 
his  spy-glass,  and  Uncle  Nat  very  obligingly  produced  the  ship's  glass. 

"  Don't  you  remember  what  you  told  us  about  the  sun,  when  we 
were  in  the  steamer  ?  " 


258  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

"Yes;  Ralph." 

"  Well,  I  would  like  a  good  chance  to  see  the  moon  through  a  big 
glass." 

"»I   hope   you    may    have    as    good  a    one    as  I    had   once." 

'-''  How    did   the  moon    look,  uncle  ? " 

^'  It  looked  very  rough,  Ralph,  for  there  were  spots  all  over  it,  and 
some  were  bright  and  some  were  dark.  It  was  once  thought  that 
the  shady  spots  were  water,  and  names  were  given  accordingly ; 
one  was  called  the  Sea  of  Tranquility,  for  example.  But  those  seas 
seem  to  have  all  dried  uj)  now,  or  gone  somewhere,  for  astronomers 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  not  seas,  but  great  level 
tracts,  and  the  bright  spots  are  mountains,  because  in  the  sunlight 
they  cast  a  shadow  as  a  mountain  would.  I  have  a  book,"  said  Uncle 
Nat  rising,'  "  that  gives  you  a  picture  of  the  surface  of  the  moon.  < 
Here  it  is ;  I've  found  it.  See  the  mountains,  how  sharp  some  of 
their  tops  are,  and  others  are  round  and  seem  to  be   hollow." 

"  Why,  uncle,  they  look  like  a   volcanic   country  in  winter." 

*'  Well,  they  are  considered  to  be  dead  volcanoes.  There  is  one 
moon-volcano  whose  crater  is  over  fifty  miles  across,  and  its  sides 
run  up  eleven  thousand  feet.  You  said  '  a  volcanic  country  in  winter,' 
and  that  is  what  I  guess  the  moon  is  ;    a  kind  of  white,  wintry  icicle." 

''  A   cold   place   for  the   man    in   the    moon,"    said   Rick. 

'■'•  But   splendid   when   the    sun    lights    it   up,"    rejoined   Ralph. 

"  How  do  you  know,  Ralph,"  asked  Rick,  "  that  the  sun  lights  it 
up  . 

"  Guess  I  know  what  I'm   taught  at  school,  sir,"  said  Ralph  proudly. 

"Here,  boys,"  asked  Uncle  Nat,  anxious  to  ^ ward  off  discussions 
about  the  cold  moon,  knowing  them  sometimes  to  be  very  hot, 
"  wouldn't  you  like  to  look  through  a  glass  big  enough  to  show 
you  the  moon  like  that  ? " 


A    VOLCANIC   CDUNI'RY    IN    WINTER. 


259 


MAN  AT  THE   WHEEL  AND  MAN  IN  THE  MOON. 


261 


*'  Where  could  we  find  it  ? "  asked  Rick. 
A  call  for  the  '•'  cap'n  "  came  from  "  Bumble-bee." 
"  Boys,    I    will    tell    you    about    telescopes    to-morrow,"    said   Uwcle 
Nat. 


CHAPTER    XXVUl. 


ABOUT   TELESCOPES. 


npHE  next  day  Uncle  Nat 
-■•  told  the  boys  about 
telescopes. 

*'  There  is  a  very  fine 
one  at  Cambridge,  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  object- 
glass,  and  that  is  the 
glass  at  the  telescope-end, 
next  to  the  object  looked 
at,  measures  fifteen  inches 
across..  Here  is  a  picture 
of  it.  You  see  that  the 
roof  over  it  is  shaped  like 
a  dome,  and  a  hole  in  the 
dome  allows  any  observer 
to  point  this  telescope  at 
the  heavens.  Then  the 
dome  is  made  to  turn  l)y 
means  of  machinery,  so 
that  the  telescope  (;an  be  pointed  at  different  parts  of  the  sky. 
Look  at  the  chair,  too,  where  the  man  sits  ;  for  that  can  be  moved 
about  on  rails  you  see  encircling  the  telescope,  and  there     is    a    con- 

262 


TELESCOPE    AT   CAMKRIDGE,   U.   S. 


ABOUT  TELESCOPES. 


263 


trivance  for  lifting  or  lowering  the  chair.  There  is  a  telescope  in 
Washington  that  has  an  object-glass  measuring  twenty-six  inches 
in  diameter." 

Rick  thought  it  would  be  nice  sometime  to  slip  down  from  Concord 
and  ride  in  that  "  cunning  chair "  at  Cambridge,  while  Ralph  inquired 
how  they  could  "  keep  a  telescope 
from    wriggling." 

"They  are  very  particular 
about  the  support  of  the 
telescope,"  said  Uncle  Nat. 
"  In  observatories  often, 
the  telescope  rests  on  a 
solid  tower  built  up  from 
the  ground.  That  makes 
it  very  steady.  If  resting 
on  the  floor  of  a  building, 
it  would  shake  with  the 
building.  When  a  man  is 
looking  at  a  star,  he  can 
not  bear  to  have  the  tele- 
scope jarred  in  the  least. 
One  of  the  planets  is 
Saturn,  and  you  do  not 
know  what  a  beautiful 
(jbject  it  is  when  seen 
through  a  telescope  of 
good  magnifying  powers. 
I    will    tell   you    about   it   sometime   when    I    have    a    good    chance." 

After  this  talk  with  the   boys,  Uncle   Nat   went    out   to  promenade 
the    deck   with   them.      When   they   had  strolled  as   far  as   the   fore- 


TELESCOPE  AT   WASHINGTON. 


264  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRJSK  LANDS. 

castle,  seeing  Jack  Bobstay  in  the  door,  mending  his  pants,  they 
stopped  for  a  little  chat.  ''  Have  you  seen  the  latest  improvement, 
Sir! 

"  No,  I  haven't,  Jack." 

Jack  pointed   out    Rick's    autumn-picture  on   the    wall. 

"  You    don't    know   how    that  brightens    things,  cap'n." 

■^^Y-e-s,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  as  if  occupied  with  other  thoughts.  He 
was  saying  to  himself :  "  If  my  nephew  is  doing  something  here,  why 
doesn't  the  uncle  ?  " 

"  Jack,  this  for'c'stle  looks  dirty,  and  I  wonder  if  we  can*t  fix  it 
up  ?  How  would  an  oil-cloth  look  on  the  floor  —  bright  and  pretty  ? 
Would  the  men  like  it  ?  " 

"^Like  itl  I  guess  so;  and  I  believe  it  would  set  us  to  improving 
the  place  all  we  could." 

''  I  would  paint  it,  but  it  would  make  a  dirty  job  for  you  now. 
I  might  touch  it  a  little  overhead "  —  and  he  looked  at  the  dirty 
funnel-hole  —  ^*  and    when    in   port  we   will    paint   it  gay." 

"  Cap'n,  we  will  have  a  '  For'c'stle  Improvement  Society,'  and  do 
our  best,  sir." 

The  crew  took  a  great  interest  in  the  plan.  The  floor  was  scrubbed, 
bunks  were  scrubbed,  walls  were  scrubbed  ;  the  captain  sent  a  few 
pictures  from  a  lot  he  had  in  his  state-room,  adding  the  oil-cloth 
for  the  floor,  and  a  paint-brush,  "  to  touch  up  here  and  there,"  and 
putting  in  a  cushioned  settee,  also. 

"  Amazin',"  soliloquized  Jack  Bobstay,  as  he  faced  Rick's  picture, 
"  what  a  little  beginnin'  may  lead  to,  and  especially  a  beginnin'  by 
a  child." 

Uncle  Nat  was  a  Christian  by  name  and  at  heart.  He  believed 
in  treating  a  sailor  as  a  man,  and  tried  to  sail  his  ship  by  the  chart 
of     the     Golden     Rule.        Some     sailors     tried     to     take     advantaire 


AB  O  Ur  TELESCOPES. 


265 


of   this,    bat,  as   Jack   said,    "he    was    a    cap'n,    while    a  Christian." 

"'  The  cap'n's  hand  is  on  the  helm,  and  he  has  a  knack  at  niakin' 
a   feller  feel  it ;   but  he  will  do  it  in  a  gentlemanly  way,"  said  Jack. 

Uncle  Nat  was  particular  to  keep  Sunday  on  board  his  ship,  and 
he  believed  it  had  a  good  effect  on  the  men.  Every  man  off  duty 
was  expected  to  attend  morning  service  in  the  cabin.  Assisted  by 
the  doctor.  Uncle  Nat  read  certain  portions  of  the  prayer-book,  the 
men  responding  and  joining  in  the  singing. 

"  Rick  and  I  have  joined  the  choir,"  Ralph  wrote  home  after  their 
first  Sunday. 

That  first  Sunday !  It  was  a  day  of  much  beauty ;  and  af+^^r  the 
service,  it  seemed  to  Doctor  Walton's  reverent  nature  as  if  the  many, 
many  waves  smiting  together  their  restless  tops,  and  thf  wind 
humming,  whistling,  roaring  through  the  rigging,  were  all  lifting 
up  their   voices   to  God   in   one  grand  chorus  of   praise. 


WHAT  THK    WAVKS    COVER  I 


CHAPTER     XXIX. 


CORAL   ISLANDS   AND   CORAL. 


the    water,    only    to    subside 


again, 
266 


'T^HE  voyage 
•^  before  the 
Antelope  was  not 
to  be  a  short  one. 
Uncle  Nat  said, 
"  We  are  going 
to  Australia,  but 
New  Zealand  is 
the  land  first  to 
be  visited." 

Day  after  day 
they  sailed  in  a 
south-easterly  di- 
rection, passing 
island  after  island 
that  gemmed  the 
Pacific.  Some- 
times they  came 
quite  near  some 
coast  of  green 
swelling  out  of 
and  then  melt    like  a  "-em    of 


CORAL  ISLANDS  AND  CORAL. 


2br 


emerald    in    a    dissolving  sea.     Rick    was    puzzled  about  the  eqiiator.. 

"  Won't  we  find  it  hot  when  we  cross  the  equator,  Uncle  Nat  ?  " 

"  Oh,  perhaps  not.  The  sun  may  be  clouded,  you  know.  What 
do  you  think  the  equator  is,  a  kind  of  red  hot  line  stretching  througb 
tbe  water,  and  sizzling  all  the  way,  Rick  ?  " 

Rick  could  not  say. 

When  his  uncle  told  him  one  morning  that  they  had  crossed  the 
equator,  he  felt  quite  disturbed  to  think  he  had  been  ignorant  of  it^ 
and  that  the  event  had  passed  off  so  quietly. 

•'  We  did  not  melt,  surely,"  said  Uncle  Nat ;  "  and  on  the  other  hand 
we  had  quite  a  cool  wind  to  keep  us  company." 

How  the  wind  did  blow  a  few  days  after  that !  Siah  had  occasioa. 
to  remember  the  uneasy  sea  that 
came  with  it.  He  had  been  assist- 
ing Bumble-bee,  who  was  getting 
up  a  special  dinner  —  a  chowder. 
Rick  took  a  fancy  to  it,  and  as  he 
said  he  could  not  wait  for  dinner, 
being  "  awful  hungry,"  Siah  with 
the  air  of  a  grandpa,  had  told 
him  :  "  Chile,  you  shall  have  a 
bowlful    forehand." 

He  filled  a  bowl  and  started 
for  the  cabin.  On  the  way  he 
heard  Bumble-bee's  voice  calling 
him  back.  Setting  his  bowl  on  a 
little  shelf  outside  the  forward 
house,    and    sniffing    at    its    contents,    he    began    talking    to    himself : 

"Jes'say  to  de  cap'n  dar's  suthin'   nice   comin'   to-day,  Siah." 

"  Suthin'     nice     comin',"    he    repeated,    and    was     about    reaching, 


"SUTHIN'S   comin"  —  AND   SUTHIN'   CAME. 


:268  ALL  AJWARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

■up  his  hand  after  the  bowl.  At  that  moment  tlie  sea  gave  an  extra 
pitch,  and,  as  he  was  saying  again,  "  suthin'  nice  comin',"  down  tumbled 
the  bowl  of  cho\\der!  Siah  saw  it  on  its  way,  and  turning  round 
tried  to  dodge  it,  only  to  catch  its  contents  on  his  dark  locks,  now 
-covered  with  a  savory  but  unwelcome  cap. 

^'  Anybody  lookin'  ?  "  thought  Siah. 

There  was  a  roar  from  three  or  foiu-  dark  woollen  shirts  near  the 
forecastle,  and  Siah  was  glad  to  steal  away  and  wipe  in  secret  the 
•new  kind  of  hair-oil  from  his  head. 

That  day  Ralph  and  Rick  both  declared  to  Jack  Bobstay  tliat 
fthey  saw  "  bushes  "  off  in  the  water. 

"  Bushes,  boys  !     Those  are  coral  islands." 

"  Oh,  tell  us  about  them." 

'•  Well,  I  have  been  on  them,  and  so  know  something  about  them  ; 
but  if  you  want  a  full  account,  sure  and  reliable,  you  go  to  the 
cap'n." 

Uncle  Nat  acceded  to  the  boys'  request  for  information ;  and  that 
afternoon  they  were  all  upon  the  quarter-deck,  ready  to  take  up  the 
interesting  subject  of  coral  and  coral  islands. 

*'  May  I  not  get  Siah,  uncle  ? " 

"  Yes,  Rick,  if  he  is  off  duty." 

''  And  may  I  come  too  ? "  asked  the  doctor. 

''  Oh,  certainly." 

The  captain  was  soon  ringed  by  a  circle  of  listeners,  and  no  one 
^as  more  attentive  than  Siah,  who  regarded  Uncle  Nat's  head  as 
a  kind  of  book-case  packed  with  volumes. 

''  You  want  to  know  something  about  these  coral  islands  we  occa- 
sionally pass.     Let  us  then  begin  with  the  coral  itself. 

"  To  produce  coral  a  little  animal  is  at  work,  called  a  polyp ;  a  tiny 
•creature  having  a  moutli,    having    also    a  stomach,  and  that  is  abo^t 


CORAL  ISLANDS  AND  CORAL.  269. 

all  there  is  to  it.  Around  this  mouth  are  long  little  feelers  or  tentacles- 
that  play  in  and  out,  taking  up  and  then  expelling  the  matter.  Th(» 
sea  water  leaves  behind  its  calcareous  or  limy  matter,  which  is  de- 
posited in  very  thin  strips  in  the  sack  or  body.  The  lime-matter  left 
behind  is  the  coral  which  keeps  increasing  as  the  polyp  begets  children, 
in  the  form  of  buds ;  for  these  develop  into  coral-making  factories,, 
and  go  to  work  very  soon. 

"  The  coral-buds  are  sometimes  sprouted  sidewise,  and  then  the- 
coral  branches  out  like  a  tree ;  or  the  polyps  may  take  a  notion  tO' 
arrange  themselves  so  as  to  form  a  convex  surface,  and  keep  growing: 
that  way,  in  which  case  you  have  a  kind  of  dome.  Coral  is  very 
beautiful  in  some  of  its  colors  and  shapes.  Its  forms  have  been  likened 
to  fans  and  even  flowers,  but  the  gardens  that  these  bloom  in  are  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea.  Sometimes  coral  is  shaped  like  a  vase  covered  witk 
a  flower-like  growth." 

The  captain  paused. 

"  Well,"  said  Siah,  who  was  quite  a  utilitarian, ''  these  are  pretty ;  but 
what  good  do  dey  do  ?  " 

''In  various  ways  they  are  useful,  and  here  is  one:  What  we  call 
carbonic  acid  in  the  atmosphere  is  very  essential,  but  it  may  be  ex- 
cessive, and  so  the  plants,  trees,  gardens  and  forests  take  it  up.  This 
carbonic  acid  is  in  the  rivers  in  the  form  of  lime-salts,  and  that  toa 
much  may  not  get  into  the  sea,  it  is  thought  that  the  little  polyp  has- 
its  mission ;  taking  up  the  limy  water  and  retaining  the  lime  as  coraL 
That,  though,  is  only  an  opinion." 

"  And  then  they  build  islands,  uncle,  don't  they  ?  They  are  useful 
that  way." 

"  Yes,  many  islands  and  reefs  are  built  in  that  way.  Off  Australia  is  a 
reef  with  occasional  gaps,  over  one  thousand  miles  long.  Some  are  ring- 
like, and  the  people  of  the  Maldive  Islands  call  them  atolls.     Matter  wilL 


170 


ALL  A/WARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


collect  on  this  coral-ring,  seed  and  soil  finally  gathering  there,  and  the 
next  thing  to  be  seen  is  a  cocoa-nut  tree ;  and  then  by  and  by  a  wliole 
grove  is  there.  Outside  these  atolls  roll  the  breakers,  rushing  violently 
up  the  beach  of  powdered  white  coral ;  but  within  the  atoll,  the  water  is 
«niooth  and  placid.  The  color  of  the  inside  water  is  that  of  a  bright 
green." 

"  Sea-water  !  How  can  de  sea-water  get  in  ?  To  'e  corals  leab  a 
•door  open  in  de  ring?"  inquired  Siah. 

"  There  is  generally  an  entrance  to  these  atolls;,  rings  or  lagoons,  as 


A  LARCON. 


they  also  are  sometimes  called,  the  water  flowing  in  and  out ;  and  as  the 
entrance  is  on  the  leeward  side,  it  is  a  smooth  one.  Whether  the  polyps 
leave  that  gate  open,  I  can't  say.  It  has  been  thought  that  they 'build 
on  the  tops  of  smiken  land,  hills  and  'the  like,  and  the  opening  is  that 
natural  one  where  the  water  among  the  hills  once  found  its  way  out, 
rand  the  ocean-tides  now  keep  it  open.     The  polyps  can  not  work  at  w 


CORAL  ISLANDS  AND  CORAL. 


.71 


point  deeper  than  twenty  or  thirty  fathoms  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
water,  but  on  the  eminences  of  this  sunken  land  they  can  easily  laild. 
When  the  land  sinks  still  further,  it  carries  the  coral  formation  down  to 
depths  below  the  point  where  the  animal  can  work ;  and  this  explains 
why  his  work  is  found  so  far  below  the  ocean's  surface." 

"  How  is  it,"  inquired  the  sagacious  Siali,  "  dat  de  openin's  'mong  de 
hills  fur  de  scape  ob  de  water  should  always  be  on  de  leeward  side  ? " 

"  You  must  not  ask  too  many  questions,"  said  Uncle  Nat  laughing. 
"  They  will  upset  any  theory." 

In  the  consciousness  of  an  increase  of  knowledge,  Siah  had  a  new 
strut  all  that  day.  He  took  it  upon  himself  to  attempt  the  enlighten- 
ment of  Bumble-bee,  who  rewarded  him  by  saying  that  he  had  never 
Heard  "sich  a  mess  of  nonsense  in  all  his  life.  Dose  polypusses  de 
cap'n  tole  about,  is  jest  childish  !     Coral  grows  kase  —  it  do  !  " 

Siah  only  wished  that  he  had  the  books  out  of  which  he  could  confute 
the   ignorant  Bumble-bee. 

"  Ef  I  could  only  read,"  he  sighed  to  Ralph  in  secret. 

"  Can't  you  read  ? " 

Siah   shook  his  head. 

"  Don't  you  know  your  letters  ? " 

'■'■  Only  as  fur  as  pot-hooks,"  and  there  came  another  mournful,  de- 
spairing shake. 

"Pot-hooks?     What    letter  is   that,  s?" 

Siah   nodded. 

"I'll   put   you    through,    Siah,    and   don't   you   worry." 

Within  twenty-four  hours  Siah  was  master  of  the  alphabet.  Ht« 
then  prepared  nimseif  to  take  up  a-b,  ab,  and  a-p,  ap,  declaring  that 
he  felt  as  proud  as  his  cousin  John  C.  Fremont,  when  some 
*'  pusson    at   a   ball    stuck   two   posies    into   his   hair." 

Very    soon    Siah   learned   something   else.     He   was   near   the    boy»» 


272 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRJSE  LANDS, 


and  Uncle  Nat  one  evening,  when  Ralph  exclaimed,  "Do  you 
remember  you  said  something  about  Saturn  one  day,  when  talking 
about    telescopes,    and   said  it    was  a  beautiful  ,,,X  ^ 

object  seen  through  a  telescope  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  I  promised  to  tell  you  about 
it.     Do  you  want  to  see  a  picture  of  Saturn  ?  " 

"  If   you    please." 

Uncle  Nat  brought  a  book  from  his  state- 
room and  showed  the  famous  planet  to  the 
young    people. 

"There,"  he  said,  "if  you  can,  imagine  a 
body  in  volume  seven  hundred  times 
larger  than  the  earth,  encircled  Ijy 
such  rings.  You  see  that  there  are 
three;  but  the  innermost  can  only 
be  seen  through  a  telescope  of  great 
magnifying  powers.  These  rings  are 
regular  in  form,  being  concentric, 
or,  having  the  same  centre.  You  can 
imagine  how  magnificent  —  to  a  Sa- 
turnian  —  must  seem  those  vast  arches  sweeping  above  the  i)lanet .  Then 
Saturn  has  eight  satellites  or  moons,  the  largest  compaing  with  mercury 
in  size.  Light  up  the  arches,  kindle  up  the  moons,  and  the  heavens  to 
a  Saturnian    must   be    marvelously    grand." 

The   party    now   left    the   cabin,    when    Rick    said,  "  Oh,  see   that 
shooting   star !  " 

It   flashed    downward   like    an    arrow    of   fire,   quenched   at  last   in 
the    sea. 

"  Where    do   they    come   from,    uncle  ? " 

"  That    is    a  question.    Rick.      Once   people    said    they  came   from 


SIAll'S    COUSIN. 


CORAL  ISLANDS  AND  CORAL. 


273 


the  moon  —  out  of  its  volcanoes ;  but  now  the  theory  is  that  milUons 
of  these  fragments  are  journeying  about  the  sun,  and  sometimes  the 
earth  cuts  across 
their  path,  and 
then  they  come 
showering  down 
through  the  air. 
In  November 
and  August  — 
toward  the  mid- 
dle  —  we  see 
more  of  them. 
Sometimes  they 
burst,  and  their 
fragments  are 
scattered  upon 
the  earth.  You 
will  see  accounts 
in  the  papers  of 
meteors  that 
have  struck  the 
earth  and  been 
picked  up.  They 
have  been  found 
weighing  over 
one  thousand 
pounds  in  this 
country,  and  a 
large  one  is  in 
the  Smithsonian 


THE  FAMOUS  PLANET. 


2  74  AIJ.  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

[nstitute  at  Washington.  South  America  boasts  of  one  exceeding 
ftll  others  in  weight." 

"What  is  in  them?" 

"  What  are  they  composed  of  ?  Iron,  mostly,  nickle  coming  next ; 
phosphorus  also,  and  other  substances.  They  were  known  in  ancient 
times.     Pliny  speaks  of  one  big  as  a  wagon." 

"  How  big  was  de  wagon  ?  " . 

"  Siah,  you  ask  too  many  questions." 

"  What  do  they  call  shooting  stars,  uncle  ? " 

"  Meteors ;  meaning,  in  the  air ;  or  aerolites,  air  stones ;  or  bolides, 
meaning  things  thrown  —  balls." 

Siah  told  Bumble-bee  all  about  this  wonderful  subject.  He  was 
disgusted,  especially  with  the  new  names. 

"  Eber  since  I  was  a  boy,  dey  call  dem  shootin'  stars ;  a  plain 
name,  and  well  known  in  de  fust  circles.  What  was  the  cap'n's 
last  name  ?  " 

"Bald  — bald  — bald-di-dese,  I  b'lieve." 

And  Bumble-bee  was   still   more   disgusted. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


NEW    ZEALAND. 


T 


HEY  were  now 
sailing    near 


the  coasts  of  New 
Zealand,  which  rose 
in  slopes  of  soft 
azure  above  the 
rolling  waters  of 
the  Southern  Pa- 
cific. 

"  Boys,"  said  Un- 
cle Nat,  "I  have 
something  to  pro- 
pose. There  are 
books  enough  in 
the  cabin  to  help 
you.  I  want  that 
you  should  learn 
all  ■  you  can  about 
Australia  and  New 
Zealand.  Ralph, 
you  may  take  New 


Zealand,      and     at 

another  time  Rick  may  tell  about  Australia  —  write  up  an  article,  boys  !  " 

275 


276  ALL  ABOARD  J^'OR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

For  these  important  papers,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  preparation, 
and  for  several  mornings  the  boys'  heads  were  almost  hidden  behind 
barricades  of  books.  There  was  great  interest  manifested  in  the  reading 
of  Ralph's  article,  w  hich  antedated  Ri  jk's  production  a  number  of 
weeks : 

"  The  fii'st  European  wlio  visited  New  Zealiiiid,  was  Skipper  Tasnian  in  1642, 
and  being  a  loving  Dutchman,  he  gave  the  place  a  name  after  a  district  at 
home.  It  now  belongs  to  England.  The  principal  ishmds  in  New  Zealand  are 
Stewart's,  South  or  Middle,  and  North.  We  are  going  to  the  North  Island,  and 
hope  soon  to  anchor  in  Auckland  harbor.  In  all,  there  are  a3  many  as  a 
hundred  thousand  spare  —  I  mean  square  miles  in  New  Zealand,  and  it  would 
•take  a  line  eleven  hundred  miles  long  to  measure  from  one  tip  of  New  Zealand 
to  the  other,  and  one  of  three  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  to  go 
round  the  coast.  It  is  not  so  very  wide  —  the  greatest  width  at  any  point 
being  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Next  to  Concord,  it  must  be  a  pleasant 
place  to  live  in;  for  the  thermometer  doesn't  go  np  so  very  much  in  summer, 
or  so  far  down  in  winter,  but  stays  about  where  one  would  like  to  have  it. 
When  we  have  our  winter,  they  are  having  their  summer.  Their  winter 
starts  in  June,  their  spring  in  September,  their  summer  in  December,  and 
autumn  in  March.'  Tluxt  is  a  kind  of  turning  of  things  upside  down. 

"  Jack  Bobstay  who  has  been  in  New  Zealand  says  there  is  fine  land,  big 
forests,  and  lots  of  volcanoes ;  and  some  volcanoes  that  still  spit  fire.  There  are 
springs,  too,  that  spout  hot  water.  There  is  gold,  and  there  are  lots  of  coal, 
and  there  must  be  a  half  a  million  of  people,  and  an}^  quantity  of  sheep. 

"The  first  inhabitants  are  called  Maoris,  and  they  have  been  a  pretty  rough 
set,  and  are  mostly  in  North  Island.  They  did  like  to  make  themselves 
hideous  in  war  by  tattooing;  but  tattooing  is  going  out  of  fashion.  Capt.  Cook 
did  a  good  thing  for  the  people  by  bringing  here  various  vegetables,  and  among 
them  was  the  potato.  He  let  loose  spme  pigs,  also,  so  that  the  New  Zeal- 
anders  have  plenty  of  pork,  and  as  it  runs  wild  in  the  forest,  a  man  can  get  it 
for  nothing,  jjrovided  he  can  shoot  it.  I  think  Jack  Bobstay  is  right  when  he 
aavs  New  Zealand  has  a  future  before  it."- 


CORAL  ISLANDS  AND  CORAL.  277 

A  good  word  was  said  for  Ralph's  effort,  "  for,"  said  Uncle  Nat, ''  it 
is  in  a  nutshell,  and  you  can  pick  out  the  meat  quick.  I  think,  myself, 
that  New  Zealand  has  a  fine  future  before  it,  as  you  say  Jack  Bobstay 
believes." 

"'•Yes,  uncle,  Jack  Bobstay  has  been  round  a  good  deal,  and  has  a 
pretty  good  knowledge  of  things." 

The  boys  were  always  ready  to  say  a  good  word  for  the  honored 
Bobstay. 

"  If  he  had  only  had  a  chance,  uncle,"  said  Rick,  "  he  might  have 
made  something  handsome." 

'•  AYell,  that  is  true  ;  but  if  boys  would  only  improve  the  chances  they 
do  have,  the  world  would  fare  better." 

Jack  always  had  a  yarn  ready  for  the  boys.  He  told  them  that  very 
day  about  "touching  up"  the  British  X^w^  when  in  an  English  port. 

'•  It  fell  to  me,  boys,  to  paint  round  the  bows  of  the  ship,  the  figure- 
head, and  so  on.  I  tell  you,  youngsters,  being  a  Yankee  tar,  I  painted 
that  lion  faithfully,  and  I  couldn't  help  putting  a  streak  into  that  lion's 
eye  to  represent  a  scratch  from  the  American  eagle.  I  don't  know  as 
it  was  just  the  thing,  but  then  a  man  must  be  true  to  his  country." 


CHAPTER   XXXI 


AUCKLAND. 


^ 


ef" 


-:>^ 


O  PLENDID !  " 


said  Uncle 
Nat,  and  in  the  exact 
sense  of  the  word,  was  the 
view  splendid.  A  bright  New 
Zealand  sun  was  shining  down 
on  sea  and  land,  as  the  An- 
telo2)e  moved  into  Auckland 
Harbor.  A  strong  wind  was 
behind  it,  and  before  it  were 
the  many  little  waves,  each 
foam-crested,  as  if  they  were 
hammocks  of  blue  in  which 
white  sea-gulls  were  sitting  and  swinging.  On  one  side  of  the  entrance 
was  Ranjitoto  Island,  lifting  into  the  air  three  volcanic  peaks,  their  cOn- 
cial  shapes  suggesting  three  tents.  On  the  other  side  was  North  Head, 
carrying  two  more  volcanic  peaks.  On  either  side  was  a  deserted 
encampment  of  fire-gods. 

"  And  that  is  Auckland,  Uncle  Nat  ?  " 
"  Yes,  Rick,  that  is  Auckland ;  and  she  is  a  beauty !  " 
The  homes  of  almost    thirty   thousand  people  were  massed  on  the 
rising  ground  before  them,  while  at  its  wharves  tapered  the  masts  of 

vessels  belonging   to  various   nations.     But   Auckland   is  noticed  in  a 

278 


I  1,1  I W  1:1;- 1  OT. 


A  UCKLAND. 


'79 


letter  from  Ralph  to 
Nurse  Fennel.  He  com- 
menced with  a  reference 
to  Uncle  Nat,  and  the 
mf ormation  he  gave  his 
nephews. 

"  You  don't  know  how 

many   things   Uncle    Nat  > 

and    Dr.    Walton  tell    us  | 

about.      Uncle    Nat   tells  J 

us  more  about  the  sea,  and     z 

c 

last    night   he  showed  us  | 

some    queer    but    pretty  ^ 

things  in  a  picture  book.  ^ 

I  shall  have  to  go  to  the  > 

book  and  get    the    name,  ^ 

and   here  it  is   put  down  | 

as  actinia  or  sea-anemone.  5 

There  is  a  kind    of    bag,     ^ 

> 
the    bottom    sticking     to     ? 

the  bed  of  the    sea,    and 

then  they  keep  what  they 

call  tentacles  shooting  up 

out    of    the    mouth    like 

branches  of  a  plant,    and 

the     whole     Uncle      Nat 

called  a  marine  flovver-p  to 

And    if  you    will  believe. 

it,    what   seem  to   be  the 

blossoms   are  the  parts  with  which  they  seize  their  food.     And  Uncle  Nat  said 

if  they  feel  like  walking,  they  upset  themselves,  stand  on  those  long  branches 

or  arms,  and  walk  off! 


28o 


ALL  A  J '.OAR  I)  J' OR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


•'  Then  lie  showed  \is  wliat  lie  called  a  fan,  and  said  it  was  handsomer  than 
anything  in  Japan.  It  is  really  a  kind  of  jelly-fish,  and  it  throws  out  long, 
delicate  tentacles.  Uncle  Nat  saj's  he  has  been  in  places  where  jelly-fish  send 
out  a  light;  he  calls  it  phosphorescence  —  a  hard  word  —  and  it  lights  up  the 
waters  in  motion,  and  he  h.as  told  breakers  that  way.  He  says  the  sun-fish  tliat 
come  asliore  in  Boston  Harbor,  after  a  storm,  are  relatives  of  the  fan-fish. 
"But  there,  I  was  going  to    tell  you  about  Auckland.     If  you  put  on  your 

specs,  you  will  see 
Auckland  on  the  map, 
in  the  northern  part 
of  North  Island,  New 
Zealand,  and  it  is  nice 
to  get  among  our  own 
peojile  again.  This 
city  is  in  a  very  nar- 
row part  of  the  island 
—  not  more  than  six 
nnles  wide — so  that 
the  city  has  two  har- 
bors, and  two  seas 
come  tumbling  into 
them.  About  a  mile 
from  the  city  is  Mt. 
Eden.  It  used  to 
spit  fire  all  the  time, 
auntie,  but  it  is 
plugged  up  now,  and 
quiet  as  u  lamb.  Un- 
cle Nat  took  us  in  a 
carriage  to  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  where  we  got  out,  and  then  climbed  for  about  half 
I  hour  to  the  top.  It  was  a  splendid  view  down  on  Auckland,  then  across 
to  the  sea,  and  tluMi  off  on  tlie  mountains.     They  call  the  liole  where  the  fires 


MEDUS/E  OR  JELLY-FISH. 


AUCKLAND. 


come  out  of  the  mountain,  the  crater  —  and  we  went  down  into  it.     Rick  felt 
round  with  his  hands  to  see  if  he  couldn't  find  a  warm  place,  for  he  told  me 


YOUNG  JACK   BOBSTAY. 

he  thought  if  we  did  we  might  get  a  crowbar  and  drive  ii  down  and  see  the 
fire  «pout.  Ain't  Rick  a  great  boy  ?  It  was  easier  getting  down  into  the  crater 
than  up  out  of  it. 


282 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


"There  are  some  nice  stores  here  in  Auckland  ;  railroads  that  go  off  into  the 
country  ;  gas  lamps,  paved  streets,  a  botanical  garden  and  the  telegraph.  It  is 
a  smart,  lively  town,  I  think,  and  has  some  pretty  places.  The  big  Pacific 
Mail  steamers  call  here,  so  that  it  is  quite  handy,  if  you  feel  like  coming  out. 
You  know  there  is  gold  in  New  Zealand.  The}'^  find  it  in  places  in  the  rocks, 
and  theu  they  say  there  is  gold  on  the  sandy  beaches,  and  the  gold  hunters  are 
called  beach-combers,  and  they  think  the  sea  in  storms  brings  the  gold  ashore, 
but  they  say  it  really  comes  down  the  rivers,  and  so  into  the  sea.  I  don't  care 
where  it  comes  from,  if  some  would  only  get  into  my  pocket." 


Ralph  closed  his  letter  affectionately,  and   then  went  off  to  find  Jack 
Bobstay. 

"  I  have  just  written  a   letter  to  my  auntie,  Mr.  Bobstay," 
"Your  auntie?" 

"  She  is  not  really,  only  our  old  nurse." 

"  It  is  nice  to  have  somebody  you  can  call  auntie,  and  I  did  have  one 
years  ago." 

Then   Jack  told  Ralph  about  his    boyhood,  and  the  fishing  village 

where  he  lived  with  an  aunt.  He  told 
about  the  bluffs  back  of  the  be^ch,  what 
he  did,  how  he  dressed,  his  boat,  and  his 
dog  Fido.  He  did  it  so  graphically  that 
Ralph  seemed  to  see  a  boy  in  a  boat  gras2> 
ing  the  oars,  a  dog  at  his  feet,  a  coil  of 
I  rope  behind  him,  while  drawn  up  on  the 
shore  were  several  fishing-boats. 

"That  was  when  I  was  young  Bobstay," 
said  the  old  tar,  "and  now  I'm  just  old 
Jack  Bobstay." 


OLD   JACK    llOliSlAV. 


CHAPTER    XXXII 


THE    MAORIS. 


^117110    are    those,  uncle?"    asked   Rick. 

^  '  Uncle  Nat  was  riding  out  into  the  coun- 

try with  his  nephews,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Arden, 
a   New   Zealand    acquaintance. 

"  Those,  those  are  — "    and   Uncle  Nat  stopped. 
"  Those   are   Maoris,"    said   Mr.   Arden,    answer- 
ing  for  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Maoris  ?  Oh,  I  remember  Ralph  told  about 
them,"  added  Rick,  "  in  his  piece  on  New  Zea- 
land.    They  are  the  real  natives." 

The    men   in   this   group   of   Maoris    were    stal- 
wart   and    tall ;     a   little    darker   than    Spaniards. 
Two  women  were  with  them,  dressed  in  dirty  calico 
^^^^-  gowns  and  wearing  ornaments  of  green  stone.     The 

hair  of  these  women  was  curly  and  long,  and  their  eyes  black  enough 
to  go  on  a  blackberry  bush.  One  held  a  pipe  between  her  teeth, 
and  tattooes  were  on  her  face.  During  this  visit  the  doctor  had 
taken  out  his  pencil  and  sketching  paper,  and  he  began  to  draw 
the  face  of  the  elder  woman.  But  the  subject  of  the  sketch  was 
nof  pleased  with  it,  and  told  the  doctor  the  reason ;  because  he 
had    omitted    the   tattooing   on   her    face. 

"Oh,    is   that   it?"    said    the  doctor.     "I   always    mean  to   be   ac- 

283 


284 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


comnio dating,  and  can  easily  fix  tliis," 
and  as  he  spoke,  he  made  some  ugly 
gashes  across  the  pencil-portrait,  and  it 
greatly  pleased  the  old  lad}-. 

"Do  they  live  in  a  village?"  asked 
Ralph. 

"Yes,  villages  after  their  fashion,"  an- 
swered Mr.  Arden.  "  Some  of  the  Maoris 
have  sheep-farms,  and  some  are  soldiers 
or  sailors,  or  traders  or  mechanics,  for 
they  learn  quite  easily.  They  feel  that 
they  must  yield  before  the  English.  They 
call  the  white  man  Pak^ha,  and  they 
have    this    verse    about   him : 

'As  the  Pak^ha  fly  has  driven  out  the  Maori 

fly, 

As  the  Pak^ha  grass  has  killed  the  Maori  grass, 
As  the  Pak^lia  rat  has  slain  the  Maori  rat, 
As   the   Pak^ha   clover  has  starved  the  Maori 

fern, 
So  will  the  Pak^ha  destroy  the  Maori.' 

"  They  say  of  the  advance  of  the  English, 
'  Can  you  stay  the  surf  which  beats  on 
Wanganui    shore  ?  '  " 

"  They   are   brave   men   and  good  fight- 
ers," said   Ralpn,  who  was    proud   of    the 
extensive    knowledge    of   New    Zealand   affairs   he   had   acquired. 
"  Oh,    yes ;    we   English    know   that,"    replied  Mr.  Arden   readily. 
"  I'll  tell  you  a  good  way  to  fix  them ! "  How  Rick's  eyes  snapped. 


THE  MAORIS.  285 

"  You  know  —  you  know  at  home  we  had  savages  once ;  and  a 
man  was  out  chopping  wood  one  day,  and  he  saw  Indians  coming  —  so 
Nurse  Fennel  told  me.  He  knew  he  must  go  with  them  as  their 
prisoner,  but  he  first  asked  a  favor.  He  was  splitting  a  log  with 
a  wedge,  and  would  they  just  put  their  hands  into  the  crack  and 
help  pull  open  the  log  ?  They  were  very  willing,  and  put  their  —  their 
hands  in,  and  the  man  knocked  the  wedge  out.  Didn't  they  yell 
and  kick  ! " 

"  Do  you  think  that  really  happened,  Rick  ? "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Well,  Nurse  Fennel  said  something  like  that  did  happen,  and 
she  wouldn't  tell  a  lie." 

After  the  return  of  the  party  to  the  AnteloiJe,  Rick  thought  that 
he  had  something  of  interest  to  say  to  Bumble-bee,  the  cook.  He 
was  absent  from  the  sacred  kitchen,  and  Rick  smelling  a  nice,  savory 
stew  in  the  pot,  ran  a  big  long  spoon  down  into  it,  and  was  ladling 
out  a  generous  taste,  when  he  heard  steps.  Looking  up,  he  saw 
Bumble-bee  coming. 

"  What   yer-rup   to   here  ? "    asked  Bumble-bee. 

Rick   was   silent,  and   clapped   his  spoon    behind   him. 

"Ah,  young  man,  I  see  de  stew  runnin'  out  ob  dat  spoon  'hind 
ye.  Dat's  allers  de  way.  Wrong  doin'  leaves  a  tell-tale  'hind  it. 
I'll  forgib  you,  but  nebber  forget  dat  a  wrong  will  leave  a  track  'hind 
it  dat  will  show  you  up  some  day." 

The  moral  was  excellent,  but  Rick  was  too  absorbed  in  watching 
Bumble-bee  to  think  of  anything  else.  Bumble-bee's  eyes  were 
rolling,  and  his  face  twisting  into  queer  grimaces. 

"  Booh !  "  exclaimed  Rick,  when  he  was  safe  outside,  "  I  know  what 
Bumble-bee  is ;  he's  a  Maori !  " 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 


THROUGH    cook's   STRAIT. 


ONE   PROOF  THAT  THE  EARTH    IS   ROUND. 


OAILING  away  from 
*^  Auckland,  the  Aiite- 
lojje  was  headed  for  Wel- 
lington, the  capital  of 
New  Zealand ;  a  hand- 
some city  on  the  south- 
ern ^hore  of  North  Is- 
land. As  they  neared 
Wellington,  Uncle  Nat 
said  to  the  boys  : 

"We   are  not  only   ap- 


proaching the  capital,  but  Port  Nicholson  also.  I  speak  of  it  be- 
cause 1  want  to  say  something  about  the  natives  of  this  country.  There 
have  been  wars  between  them  and  the  English,  and  the  land- 
question    has  been   a  bone    of  contention. 

"In  1839  a  vessel  named  the  Tonj  arrived  at  Port  Nicholson  and  a  num- 
ber of  natives  came  on  board.  From  the  ship's  deck  various  headlands, 
rivers  and  islands  were  pointed  out,  and  the  natives  were  asked  if 
they  would  sell  them.  They  said  yes;  and  in  less  than  three  months 
a  tract  as  big  as  Ireland  was  bought  of  the  accommodating  natives,  and 
many  chiefs  signed  papers  of  sale,  but  only  few  understood  fully 
what  they  were  doing.     About  nine  thousand  pounds  were  paid  away 

286 


THROUGH  COOK'S  STRAIT.  287 

in  goods.  Some  of  the  articles  must  have  been  extremely  useful, 
as  among  them  were  sixty  red  night-caps,  and  twelve  sticks  of  sealing 
wax,  and  twelve  shaving  brushes  !  If  this  is  a  specimen  of  the  land 
transactions,  we  don't  wonder  that  there  has  been  trouble  with  the 
natives.  There  is  only  one  safe  way  to  proceed  in  this  world, 
boys,  and  that  is  to  be  sure  and  start  right ;    then,  you  may  go  ahead." 

The  call  of  the  Antelope  at  \Yellington  was  very  brief.  A  few 
goods  were  left  and  a  few  received,  and  two  passengers  came  aboard. 
Then,  the  Antelope  lifted  her  white  antlers  again  and  bounded  away 
to  sea.  The  passengers  were  ladies  who  had  been  teachers  in  New 
Zealand,  but  now  wished  to  return  to  their  homes  in  America,  and 
for  "  variety's  sake  "  preferred  to  go  part  of  the  way  in  a  sailing  vessel. 

"What    is   the   oldest    one's   name?"    asked    Rick. 

"  Wayland ;    Miss  Wayland,  they  call  her,"  said   Ralph. 

"  And  I  heard  Miss  Wayland  call  the  other  Lissa,  and  Uncle 
Nat   called  her   also   Miss    Percy." 

"  Yes,  Miss  Lissa  Percy  or  Miss  Me-lissa  Percy,"  said  Ralph.  "  That's 
the   way   she   writes   her   name,  for   I   saw   it  on   a   card." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  funny  if  Uncle  Nat  should  like  Miss  Wayland, 
and   the   doctor   like   Miss   Lissa   Pfercy?" 

These  gentlemen  were  both  bachelors,  and  Rick's  remark  was 
quite  a  blow  to  Ralph  who  had  already  taken  a  fancy  to  Miss  Lissa. 

Uncle  Nat  quickly  found  out  that  they  were  singers.  He  was 
quite  a  musician  himself,  and  he  proposed  the  first  evening  of 
the  voyage  that  they  have  a  sing  together  out  upon  the  deck.  There 
stood  Uncle  Nat,  playing  away,  his  cheeks  swollen  to  the  size 
of  small  bellows.  The  first  mate,  Jenks,  held  the  lantern.  The  doctor. 
Miss  Wayland  and  Miss  Lissa  were  looking  over  a  sheet  of  music, 
while  Gibbs,  the  second  mate,  stood  in  the  rear  and  assisted  in  the 
singing. 


288  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Let's  have  a  song  of  home ;  ^  Home  Again/  say,"  said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  What's  that  ? "  thought  Rick,  who  had  retired  to  his  elevated 
berth,  but  was  now  awakened  by  the  singing,  and  so  thrust  down 
his   head   to    ascertain    the   matter. 

"  What's  that  ? "  thought  Ralph,  who  was  in  the  lower  berth ;  and 
running  out  his  inquisitive  _  head,  he  thrust  it  up  excitedly.  The  two 
heads   collided. 

"  Ow  -  w  -  w  !  "  yelled  Ralph. 

"Ow-w-w!"  yelled  Rick. 

No  bumping,  though,  could  destroy  their  curiosity,  and  slipping  on 
their  clothes  they  rushed  eagerly  out.  Climbing  up  into  tlie  rigging, 
they  looked  down  upon  the  singers. 

"  Ain't  that  nice.  Rick.     Miss  Lissa  is  the  best  singer." 

"  No  ;  I  like  Miss  Wayland." 

"  She  isn't." 

"  blie   is. 

"  Isn't "  and  ''  Is  "  came  pretty  near  quarreling  up  there  in  the  rigging, 
Init  the  cessation  of  the  singing  removed  the  occasion  of  strife,  and 
the  boys  went  back  to  their  berths. 

Said  Uncle  Nat  at  the  breakfast  table,  the  next  morning,  "  It  would 
be  nice  to  have  a  Mutual  Improvement  Society  of  some  kind.  Here 
are  the  boys,  and  if  we  could  have  something  for  them,  I  know  it 
would  work  well;    and  it  might  instruct  us  all." 

Everybody  applauded  the  idea. 

"  What  shall  we  call  our  society  ? "  inquired  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Call  it  the  Antelope  Guild,"  said  Miss  Lissa,  "  as  guilds  are  very 
fashionable." 

Ralph  thought  this  name  was  very  sensible. 

"  All  right,"  said  Uncle  Nat.  "  Perhaps  Ralph  will  be  secretary 
and  put  up  notices." 


mm 


A    SONC,    OK    MOMK. 


2S9 


THROUGH  COOK'S  STRAIT.  291 

And  Rick,  what    would   he    do  ?     He   fairly  itched   to   help. 
"I'llbe  — be'saxton'  1" 

"  Sexton  ?  "  said  Miss  Wayland;  '•  I  hope  yon  don't  want  to  bury  us." 
"I  —  I  will  fix  the  cabin,  you  know,  and  —  and  —  " 
"  Oh,  yes,"  said   Uncle   Nat,  coming   to   Rick's  help;    •'you   can   fix 
up  the  cabin  and  show  the  audience  in,  and  so  on." 

That  day  there  appeared  on  the   outside  of  the  cabin  this  notice  : 

Antelope  Guild. 

A  meeting  will  be  held  to-morrow  afternoon,  in  the  cabin,  at  three  o'clock, 
and  a  lecture  will  be  given  on  Capt.  Cook.      Everybody  cordially  invited. 

Ralph  Rogers,  Secretary. 

Underneath    soon   was  seen  this   P.    S.  in    another  hand  : 

Seats  provided  for  all.  Rick  Rogers,  "Saxton." 

The  ship  was  passing  through  Cook's  Strait.  It  was  a  breezy  day 
and  the  Antelope  sprang  from  billow  to  billow,  leaving  a  big  print 
of  foam  wherever  her  feet  touched  the  sea.  The  passengers  gathered 
in  the  cabin,  and  the  sailors  were  also  invited  to  come.  Jack  Bobstay 
was  off  duty  and  was  shown  to  a  "  front  seat  "  by  the  "  saxton."  Siah 
was  there,  and  so  was  Bumble-bee,  who  had  washed  up  the  dinner 
dishes  in  a  hurry,  and  then  spent  a  couple  of  hours  bedecking  himself. 
He  came  in  a  swallow-tail  coat,  and  wore  an  enormous  white  bosom, 
"  bearin'  down  upon  the  company  like  a  whole  flock  of  white  sea-gulls," 
Jack  Bobstay  said. 

Rick,  Ralph  and  Siah  were  leaning  over  the  edge  of  the  table,  their 
eyes  intently  fastened  on    the  captain. 

"  Captain  Cook !  "  said  Uncle  Nat,  clearing  his  throat.  "■  There  are 
two  things  about  Capt.  Cook  that  it  is  worth  while  to  remember  "  ( here 
Uncle  Nat  looked  down  into  the  shining  eyes  of  the  young  auditors) : 
"  One  of  the  two  things  is  that  Capt.  Cook  rose  from  a  humble  place  to 


292  ALL  AlWALiL)  LOLi  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

be  the  able  man  he  really  was.  In  the  year  1745,  as  T  make  it  out,  a 
young  fellow  stepped  on  board  an  English  collier  at  "Whitby,  and  asked 
for  a  position  as  cabin  boy.  Depend  upon  it,  there  were  some  liard 
things  and  some  menial  things  to  be  done,  but  you  all  know  there  is 
a  chance  to  get  up  from  the  hold  of  a  ship  to  the  mast-head,  if  one 
is  willing  to  climb ;  and  so  it  is  about  the  positions  in  all  sea-service. 
James  Cook  was  the  one  to  climb.  I  imagine  that  he  was  no  loafer ; 
that  he  was  prompt  and  obedient,  and  that  lie  was  just  the  one  to 
be  thoughtful  and  studious.  Such  a  boy  watching  the  tops  of  the 
ships  go  down  at  sea,  would  be  likely  to  infer  it  was  one  proof  that 
the  world  was  round.  I  can  easily  imagine  James  Cook  to  be  that  kind 
of  a  thinking  lad.  The  cabin  boy  began  to  go  up.  He  became  a 
mate  and  then  a  master. 

"  In  1755,  Cook  entered  the  royal  navy,  still  climbing  up,  climbing 
up,  just  as  when  he  was  on  board  a  collier.  He  was  finally  appointed 
to  the  frigate  Mercury,  a  vessel  that  took  part  in  the  expedition  of 
Gen.  Wolfe  to  Quebec  —  is  there  a  boy  here  who  has  not  read  that 
story?  James  Cook  piloted  the  fleet  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  making 
soundings,  and  setting  buoys.  He  led  the  boats  of  the  fleet  to  the 
attack  upon  the  French,  and  saw  that  tlie  soldiers  were  successfully 
landed. 

"  Another  thing  for  us  all  to  remember  is  that  James  Cook  never  felt 
that  he  was  too  old  to  learn.  Stepping  to  a  higher  position,  promoted 
to  the  Nortlmmherland  flag-ship,  how  did  he  spend  his  leisure  time  — 
smoking  a  dirty  pipe,  and  sipping  ^  grog  ?  Look  into  the  cabin  of  the 
Northumherland.  There  he  is,  bending  over  books  on  mathematics  and 
astronomy.  One  who  studies  about  the  sea,  cannot  well  dispense  with 
a  knowledge  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  Take  that  question  of  the  tides  : 
It  is  thought  that  the  moon  attracts  and  raises  the  water,  producing 
high  tide,  and  when  the  sun  and  moon  draw  together  —  for  the  sun  has 


THROUGri  ocyc/A \i)  STRAIT. 


293 


an  influence  on  the  water  —  then  we  have  our  highest  or  spring  tides  — 
the  lowest  be- 
ing called  neap- 
tides,  when  sun 
and  moon  do 
not  pull  togeth- 
er. This  is  all 
based  on  the 
principle  that 
one  mass  of 
matter  will  at- 
tract another.  < 
The   tides    are    -^ 

c 

an    illustration    p 
of  the  connec-    § 

or. 

t  i  o  n    between    d 
studies  of    the    ^ 
sea  and  astron-    t 
omy.       Cook 
studied  the  sub- 
ject of  the  hea- 
ve nly  bodies. 
He    made  such 
able      observa- 
tions   on     an 
eclipse    of    the 
sun  that  he  Ije- 
came  a  marked 
man.      He  also   published  a   number   of    very  valuable  charts. 

"  Boys  may  think  of  Capt.  Cook  as  only  a  kind  of  rough-and-ready 


294  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

man,  hot  for  adventure,  but  he  was  really  a  student  and  a  man  of 
science.  Consequently,  when  the  Royal  Society  wished  to  obtain 
observations  on  the  passage  of  the  planet  Venus  across  the  face  of 
the  sun,  Cook  was  picked  out  as  the  man  to  command  a  vessel  that 
would  go  to  the  Pacific  ocean  and  visit  parts  favorable  to  an  observation 
of  the  sun.  He  sailed  from  Plymouth,  England,  in  1768.  He  ac- 
quitted himself  wiih  great  credit  in  that  voyage.  About  this  time 
men  were  talking  over  the  point,  is  there  not  some  great  southern 
continent  ?  I  suppose  they  thought  the  world  might  lose  its  balance 
if  there  were  not  something  away  down  here  at  the  south  to  balance 
the  heavy  lands  at  the  north. 

"  After  Capt.  Cook  and  his  companions  had  looked  at  the  sun 
all  they  cared  to,  they  continued  their  voyage  and  came  down  here 
to  find  a  southern  continent.  Then  it  was  that  Capt.  Cook  visited 
New  Zealand,  that  had  not  had  a  visit  from  a  European  for  over 
a  hundred  years.  He  saw  first  this  strait  we  are  now  sailing  through. 
He  did  not  receive  a  very  cordial  welcome  from  the  natives  of  New 
Zealand,  and  it  fearfully  astonished  them  when  one  of  their  number 
dropped  dead  at  the  firing  of  a  nuisket  by  an  officer  of  Capt.  Cook. 
Fire-arms  puzzled  them. 

"  Capt.  Cook  visited  Australia  in  1770,  examined  a  long  piece 
of  its  coast,  and  claimed  it  for  Great  Britain.  He  sailed  on,  meeting 
with  various  adventures,  reaching  England  once  more.  The  keel 
of  his  ship  had  made  a  furrow  of  foam  all  round  the  world,  but  it 
took  three  years  to  do  it.  Yet  people  were  not  satisfied ;  and  to 
learn  finally  if  there  might  be  a  southern  continent,  Capt.  Cook  was 
sent  once  more,  when  forty-four  years  old,  to  circumnavigate  the 
globe  and  find  the  southern  continent.  He  made  new  discoveries,  and 
his  two  ships  sailed  over  sixty  thousand  miles  ;  but  they  did  not  find 
the  big  southern   land  that  was  anticipated.     In  all  that  long  voyage, 


THROUGH  COOK'S  STRAIT.  295 

SO  good  was  his  management  that  Capt.  Cook  lost  but  one  man 
by  sickness,  and  not  even  a  spar  of  any  special  worth.  The  cabin 
boy  was  now  a  famous  man.     He  kept  studying,  however,  for  though 


\>i  cook's  strait. 

one    may  be   wiser  than  -a  whole  family  of  owls,  still  there  is  always 
something  to  learn. 

"In  1776, he  received  a  gold  medal  for  a  valuable  essay.  People,  you 
know,  must  always  have  a  hobby.  They  now  began  to  ask  whether 
they  might  not  get  to  Asia  by  sailing  to  the  northwest,  and  Capt.  Cook 


296 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


was  thought  to  be  the  man  to  find  out.  The  summer  our  country 
declared  its  independence  —  when  was  that,  boys  ?  " 

"  1776,"  said  Ralph  promptly. 

"The  summer  of  '76,   Capt.  Cook  sailed  away  again.     I  wonder  if 

he    thought    he    miglit 


never  come  back.  He 
sailed  away,  resolved  ta 
pierce  the  ice-land  by 
way  of  Behring's  straits. 
He  made  a  faithful 
trial,  but  Jack  Frost 
finally  drove  him  back. 


^),\^^V4lL^*^r 


WISER   THAN    A    WHOLE   FAMILY   OF   OWLS. 


That  was  in  1778,  and 
Capt.  Cook  named  the 
point  lie  succeeded  in 
reaching,  Joy  Cape.  In 
the  course  of  this  voyage, 
he  had  discovered  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  he  now  turned  back  to 
these  ;  not  to  give  up  his  attempt  however,  but  only  to  get  ready  for 
another  northern  voyage,  which  was  like  the  cabin  l^oy  of  old 
days,  who  was  bound  to  win  if  he  could.  He  discovered  a  new  island, 
Hawaii.  The  inhabitants  were  thievish,  and  stole  one  of  Capt.  Cook's 
boats.  The  captain  naturally  wished  to  get  his  own  back  again,  and 
concluded  to  steal  their  king,  and  then  exchange  a  king  for  a  boat, 
which  was  doubtless  all  he  was  worth  ;  but  the  course  pursued  was  a 
mistaken  one.  I  do  not  believe  in  deceit.  But  the  captain  went 
ashore  and  urged  the  king  to  visit  his  ship.  The  people  suspected  the 
captain's  motive,  and  urged  the  king  not  to  go.  The  tAvo  parties  began 
to  quarrel.  Capt.  Cook  insisted  on  taking  the  king,  and  the  strife 
became  violent.     The  English  discharged  their  muskets  in  response  to 


THROUGH  COOK'S  STRAH.  ,  297 

a  shower  of  stones  from  the  natives.  Capt.  Cook's  men  escaped  to 
tlieir  boats,  and  as  the  captain  also  turned  he  was  severely  struck,  and 
fell  into  the  water,  his  face  downwards.  Like  tigers,  the  savages  fell 
upon  him,  trampling  him  down  until  dead.  His  body  was  terribly 
mutilated,  and  only  the  bones  could  be  found  when  his  men  afterwards 
came  ashore  and  by  violence  wrested  the  remains  from  the  savages'^ 
possession.  In  the  blue  sea  he  loved  so  fondly  and  sailed  so  persistently, 
they  laid  away  all  that  was  left  of  the  famous  mariner.  You  will  find 
traces  of  him   all   over  these  Pacific  seas. 

'•  In  New  Zealand,  down  to  the  year  1836,  the  story  of  Capt.  Cook's 
^isit  was  preserved  among  the  natives.  They  told  Mr.  Polack  that 
their  fathers  took  the  captain's  ship  ^  at  first  for  a  gigantic  bird,  and 
were  struck  with  the  beauty  and  size  of  its  wings,  as  they  supposed  the 
sails  to  be.  But  on  seeing  a  smaller  bird,  unfledged,  descending  into 
the  water,  and  a  number  of  parti-colored  beings,  apparently  in  human 
shape,  the  bird  was  regarded  as  a  houseful  of  divinities.'  They  were 
very  much  astonished.  Then,  too,  the  death  of  one  of  their  number, 
killed  by  a  musket,  and  a  great  fighting  man  amona:  them,  was  a  detp 
mystery.  How  could  they  obtain  revenge  on  divinities  that  could  kill 
them  at  a  distance  ? 

"  Capt.  Cook  will  long    be   remembered   as  a  daring  navigator  :    h 
a  man  who  climbed   up  high  from    a   low  round  on   the  ladder.     Let 
not  the  boys  here    forget  him." 

Ralph,  Rick  and  Siah  drew  a  long  breath.  The  story  had  intensely 
interested  them.  Each  one  resolved  to  see  how  high  he  could  mount 
in  life.  Siah,  that  night  in  his  dreams,  was  continually  rising  up 
and  bumping  his  head  against  the  low  ceiling  above  his  berth.  In 
disgust,  he  ceased  at  last,  and  fell  back  into  deep  unbroken  slumbers. 
The  doctor  declared  the  next  morning  that  the  ambitious  spirit  of 
the    Pacific  navigator  had    pervaded    all   living   things   on   board   the 


298 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


Antelope.  He  asserted  that  in  a  dream  he  had  seen  one  of  the 
roosters  in  the  hen-coops  marcliing  out  upon  the  deck,  there  to 
inveigle  a  crew  of  timorous  rats  into  his  service.  The  captain's 
flat  cap  had  been  appropriated  by  this  aspiring  rooster,  and  he  was 
strutting  about  proudly.  The  doctor  also  thought  it  was  not  safe 
to  remain ,  on  board  a  ship  whose  ci^ew  in  the  night  might  be  over- 
powered by  such  a  band  of  mutinous  as  well  as  ambitious  beings. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 


AUSTRALIA,  BY    RICK   ROGERS. 


A    SOURCE   OK    AUSTRALIAN    WEALTH. 


\/'0U  won't  see  Middle 
"*-     Island,  that  is,  to  visit 
it,    boys,"    said  Jack  Bob- 
stay,  one  day. 

'^  No, "  said  Rick  and 
Ralph,  their  inquisitive  na- 
tures anxious  to  see  every- 
thing possible. 

"  Stewart's  Island  is  a  small  affair,  but  Middle  Island,  or  South,  as 
it  is  sometimes  called,  is  worth  seeing.  It '  is  over  five  hundred  miles 
long,  boys.  It  has  some  splendid  mountains  —  tall,  I  tell  ye.  Mt.  Cook 
is  about  thirteen  thousand  feet.  There  are  some  lively  towns,  too,  in 
Middle  Island ;  not  equal  to  North  Island,  it  is  true,  but  very,  very 
respectable,  for  I  have  been  there,  boys.  And  they  have  gold  mines. 
I  was  in  the  scramble  that  put  for  the  gold  in  New  Zealand.  Lots 
of  gold  there.  But  I  expect  —  I  expect  we  shall  have  something  fine 
to-morrow,  much  better  than  any  of  my  talk.  And  here  is  the  notice, 
now,  in  as  good  style  as  a  commodore's  order  to  his  fleet.  Read  it, 
Ralph." 

"  There  will  be  a  meeting  of  the  Antelope  Guild  to-morrow  afternoon,  to 
listen  to  the  distinguished  Sir  Richard  Rogers,  from  Concord,  Mass. 

"  Ralph  Rogers,  Secretary." 
299 


300  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

The  "  distinguished  lecturer  "  was  so  prominently  mentioned  that  the 
"  saxton "  did  not  feel  like  attaching  his  signature. 

The  Antelo]pe  Guild  turned  out  in  strong  force  to  hear  a  lecture  on 
Australia. 

"  You  must  not  expect  much  from  me,"  pleaded  Rick,  his  eyes  twink- 
ling, "  'cause  —  'cause,  you  know,  I'm  not  used  to  it ;  but  I'll  do  the 
best  I  can." 

With  a  round  of  applause,  the  fraternity  encouraged  their  modest 
brother  to  go  on. 

"  Australia  is  the  biggest  island  anywhere  about.  It  is  about  two 
thousand  miles  wide,  at  its  widest  part,  and  its  greatest  length  is  twenty- 
four  hundred  miles.  It  has  three  millions  of  square  miles.  You  could 
cut  off  a  piece  of  Australia  big  as  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  then 
there  would  be  enough  left  for  twenty-five  slices  just  like  it.  It  is  only 
one-fifth  smaller  than  the  continent  of  Europe.  If  you  leave  out  Alaska, 
the  United  States  and  Australia  are  of  about  the  same  bigness. 

"  In  Australia  are  Western  Australia,  South  Australia,  Queensland, 
New  South  Wales  and  Victoria.  The  English  own  Australia,  but  they 
let  the  people  do  about  as  they  please.  Jack  Bobstay  says  that  Uncle 
Sam  is  thought  a  good  deal  of  out  this  way,  and  uncle  is  going  to  annex 
Japan  and  Australia.  The  outside  of  Australia,  along  the  sea,  is  quite 
nice,  but  away  in,  the  land  is  pretty  rocky  and  sandy  and  dry.  They 
say  the  inside  pans  out  better,  the  more  it  is  known.  Dutch  sailors 
came  pretty  often  to  Australia,  a  long  time  ago,  but  Capt.  Cook,  who 
was  smarter  than  all  of  them,  came  in  1770,  and  hoisted  the 
British  flag  over  New  South  Wales. 

"  The  convicts  came  here  first  in  1788,  but  that  was  stopped  after 
a  while,  and  a  better  class  of  people  came.  There  are  now  not  far 
from  three  millions  of  people  here.  The  people  that  lived  here  first, 
the  savages,  do  not  amount  to  much,  and  are  not  as  smart  as  the  Maoris. 


AUSTRALIA,  BY  RICK  ROGERS.  301 

Australia  sends  out  to  other  people  more  gold  and  wool  than  anything 
else.  In  Victoria  alone,  one  billion  of  gold  dollars  has  been  taken  out 
of  the  earth,  and  if  you  count  New  Zealand  and  Tasmania,  there  are 
between  sixty  and  seventy  million  sheep,  owned  by  the  people  this  way  ; 
enouo-h  to  stock  a  small  farm.  They  have  coal  and  railroads  and  the 
telegraph  in  Australia,  and  all  they  need  to  make  them  become  a  very 
great  people  is  to  become  a  part  of  the  United  States,  and  then  be 
annexed  to  Concord." 

Amid  the  patriotic  applause  of  the  Guilds  the  speaker  ceased. 

"  Australia  is  a  singular  place,"  observed  Uncle  Nat.  "  She  is  queer 
for  her  very  size  as  an  island,  being  so  very  big.  She  is  queer  for  her 
immense  sheep-farms  ;  queer  for  her  gold  mines  ;  queer  for  her  animals, 
and  queer  for  almost   everything." 

"  There  are  two  great  seasons  in  Australia :  the  wet  and  the 
dr}'.  Sometimes  it  is  pretty  hot,  and  fierce  wind  and  dust  storms 
rao-e ;  every  climate,  though,  has  its  disadvantages  as  well  as  its 
advantages. 

"  There  is  a  big  island  north  of  Australia  that  I  wish  the  boys 
could  see —  New  Guinea.  Its  mountains  are  wild,  and  the  people 
are  savages ;  but  the  soil  is  rich,  and  the  climate  temperate,  and  some 
day  New  Guinea  will  be  heard  from.  Colonists  are  sure  to  go 
there.  Then  there  is  Tasmania,  south  of  Australia,  an  island  about 
three  quarters  as  large  as  Ireland ;  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles 
long,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  wide.  It  is  fertile  in  soil,  and 
not  severe  in  climate.  Convicts  were  sent  there  once,  but  this  has 
stopped  now,  and  a  better  class  of  residents  go  there.  Its  capital 
is  Hobart  Town,  and  the  place  is  an  enterprising  one.  Well,  if  we 
do  not  see  these  places,  there  w411  be  enough  for  us  to  look  at  in 
Australia,  and  we  will  make  for  Sydney  fast  as  possible." 


CHAPTER     XXXVI. 


SYDNEY 


I 


IHK  CALH   OF  SUNSET. 


T  was  toward  the  close  of  the  day  when  the 
Antelo^ye  sailed  into  Port  Jackson,  the  body 
of  water  leading  to  the  city  of  Sydney.  The 
sun  was  rapidly  sinking  toward  the  horizon, 
hanging  up  all  sorts  of  cloud-fabrics  in  the  west, 
gay  as  the  Christmas  display  that  a  dry-goods 
dealer  makes  in  his  windows.  Uneasy  waters  were  subsiding  for 
the  night,  and  near  the  shore  there  were  surfaces  as  smooth  and 
glistening  as  gray  polished  steel.  The  shining  waters  of  the  harbor 
widened  on  either  hand.  The  land  sloped  down  to  the  water,  jutting 
out  in  points  and  making  charming  little  nooks  where  pretty  villages 
were  cradled.  From  one  of  these  villages  a  steamer  was  shooting 
away,  its  bow  headed  for  the  city  that  is  four  miles  from  the  ocean. 

"  How  calm   it  is  getting  to  be.  Doctor  Walton,"    said  Rick  as   he 
watched  the  water. 

"  YeH ;    it  would   seem  as  if  sunset  ought  to   bring   calm.     We   are 
thinking  then  of  rest." 

"  Sydney  is  the  oldest  city  in  Australia,"  said  the  doctor  to  the  boys. 
"The  very' first  settlement?"  inquired  Ralph. 

"  Let  me  explain.     When    the    British    government    knew   it   could 
not  use   the   American   colonies  as  a  kind   of  sewer  into  which  to  drain 

the  bad  blood  of  its  society,  that  is  to  say,  their  convicts,  they  thought 

302 


SYDNEY.  305 

of  Australia  as  a  sewer ;  and  as  Capt.  Cook  had  brought  a  good  report 
from  Botany  Bay,  not  far  from  here,  it  was  determined  to  send  a 
batch  of  prisoners  to  that  spot.  And  do  you  know  why  it  was  called 
Botany  Bay  ? " 

"  I  do,"  said  Ralph ;  ''  for  I  read  about  it  the  other  day.  It  was 
so  called  on  account  of  the  many  flowers  found  in  that  neighborhood 
by  a  botanist,  Mr.  Banks." 

''  Yes,  that  is  it.  Well,  Avhen  tliB  attempt  was  made  to  occupy 
Botany  Bay,  the  place  did  not  seem  the  best  for  a  settlement,  and 
they  weighed  anchor  and  came  up  here  with  their  convicts  and  started 
a  town.  Over  fifty  years  the  convicts  were  sent  here,  but  the  custom 
was  stopped  at  last ;  and  when  they  tried  in  England  to  send  others  — 
that  was  in  1849  —  Sydney  stood  right  up  and  said  no.  It  has  become 
a  large  and  populous  city,  and  must  have  at  least  one  hundred  and 
ten  thousand  inhabitants ;  and  in  the  suburbs,  our  pilot  told  me,  there 
are  over  ninety  thousand  more." 

The  next  morning  Ralph  Rogers  was  leaning  over  the  ship's  rail, 
looking  down  upon  the  waters  of  Sydney  Harbor.  There  was  a  sail 
stretched  overhead,  "  jest  to  dry  and  take  out  Neptune's  tears, "^ 
Jack  Bobstay  said.  At  Ralph's  right  was  a  string  of  fish  caught 
that  morning.  At  his  left  was  a  dog  that  had  planted  two  paws 
on  the  ship's  rail,  his  outstretched  tongue  giving  him  a  look  of  desire 
to  say  something  social,  if  he  only  could.  It  was  a  strange  dog 
that  had  come  aboard  that  morning,  and  Ralph  had  nicknamed  him 
'•  Paws."  Ralph,  though,  was  not  thinking  of  the  water  below,  the 
fishing-line  in  his  hand,  or  the  dog  at  his  side.  He  was  taking  comfort 
in  the  thought  that  he  and  Rick  and  Siah  and  Jack  Bobstay  were 
going  off  on  a  "  cruise "  through  Sydney. 

''  Take  care  of  the  boys,"  said  Uncle  Nat  as  they  were  about  leaving 
the  ship. 


3o6  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir ;  "  responded  Jack.     "  I'll   have   an  eye  out  for  'em  ; 
two    eyes  even." 

"  And  Paws  may  come.-     Paws,  good  fellow,  come  here !  "  cried  Ralph. 


KALPH   LEANING   OVER  THE   SHIP'S   RAIU 


The  four-footed  creature   gave  his  hand   a    brush  with   liis    tongue, 
and  it  was  anything  but  a  dry  lick. 


SYDNEY.  307 

"  "VYe  will  go  into  one  of  the  crack  streets,"  said  Jack,  "  and  I 
guess  I  can  find    it,    though  things    have  changed    since  I  was  here." 

"  Sydney  makes    me   think  of    Boston,   Mr.    Bobstay,"    said    Ralph. 

*'Does  it?      Well,  here  is  George  street.      See  the  buildings  of  stone." 

*'  It  is  a  nice  street ;  doesn't  it  go  through  the  whole  length  of  the 
city  ?     The  pilot  told  the  doctor  so." 

'•'  Yes  ;  and  we  will  go  into  Pitt  street  next." 

The}^  found  banks  and  newspaper  offices,  and  a  variety  of  business- 
quarters  of  importance.  Looking  along  Market  street,  Rick  saw 
foliage  ahead : 

"  Oh  -  h  -  h  !    T  guess  there  is  a  garden,"  he  shouted. 

It  was  "  Hyde  Park,"  a  pretty  spot  containing  forty  acres,  and 
here  was  a  statue  of  "  Albert  the   Good,"  and   one  also  of  Capt.  Cook. 

''  More  trees !  "  shouted  Siah,  later  in  the  day. 

They  had  reached  another  park,  the  "  Domain,"  inclosing  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  acres,  and  leading  to  >  the  bright  clear  water 
at  Farm  Cove. 

''  And  something  else  is  here,  boys,"  called  out  Jack.  He  was 
pointing  at  the  Botanical  Gardens,  green  with  a  variety  of  strange 
growths  amassed  there.  During  the  day  Jack  showed  the  boys  some 
of  the  institutions  of  Sydney,  and  among  them  were  the  University, 
Government  House,  and  Garden  Palace. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI 


THE    STORM. 


BOUN'    for    Melbourne, 
boys !  " 
"  Where  did  you  say  we  are 
going,  Siah?"  asked  Ralph. 
"  Melbourne." 

"Will  it  take  long?"  asked 
Rick. 

"  Dun  know,  chile.  We  shall 
find  out  by  the  time  we  get 
there." 

They  were  sailing  along 
when  Jack  Bobstay's  announce- 
ment to  Rick  was,  "It's  com- 
ing ! " 

"  What's  coming  ?  " 
"  A    sou'easter.      Don't   you 
see    that    the    wind    is  risin'  ? 
And    those    clouds    way  off    are    goin'  to    pour    buckets,  I  know,  and 
the  sea  is  getting  to  be  uneasy." 

Rick  thought  on  the  banks  of  the  Concord  River  that  it  must 
be  nice  to  be  a  sailor,  and  he  had  pictured  himself  on  board  a  ship, 
sporting  a  trim,  neat,  sailor's  rig,  wearing  a  big  white  collar  and  big 

308 


"glorious"    10   BE  A  SAILOR. 


THE  STORM. 


309 


black  bow,  and  it  did  seem  "  glorious."  But  he  had  been  changing 
liis  opinion.  He  had  been  rather  skeptical  on  the  point  that  very  day. 
He  noticed  that  the  ship  was  getting  to  be  quite  unsteady,  as  he 
started  from  Bumble-bee's  quarters, 
carrying  a  plate  of  soup  in  his 
hand  s.  The  deck  had  been 
washed  that  morning  and  was 
still  wet,  and  it  required  careful 
steering  on  the  part  of  the  Con- 
cord navigator  to  reach  without 
accident  the  cabin-door. 

"  Glad  I'm  not  a  sailor,"  thought 
Rick,  "and  won't  have  to  furl  a 
sail  up  on  the  yard." 

By  twilight  wind,  rain  and  sea 
were  after  the  Antelope.  Old 
Bumble-bee  put  his  head  in  at  the 
cabin-door,  and  his  body  quickly 
followed.  He  brought  a  portion 
of  the  supper  with  which  he  had 
started  from  his  domain. 

"  Mos'  los'  your  supper,  ladies 
and  genmen,  comin'  across  dat 
deck !  De  sea  is  runnin'  high," 
he  said. 

Uncle  Nat  was  out  on  deck 
giving  orders  for  the  trimming 
of  the  ship.  He  brought  word  the  latter  part  of  the  evening  that 
Jack  Bobstay's  story  was  that  the  "for'castle  was  flooded  with 
water." 


TRYING  TO  CARRY  A  PLATF.  OF  SOUP. 


3IO 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


That    niujlit     was    an    anxious     one.     The    ladies    retired    to    their 

state-room  at  an  earh-  hoiuv 
and  then  the  doctor  went  to  his, 
and  Rick  and  Ralph  stole  off  to 
theirs.  The  boys  could  not  sleep. 
Tlie  thumping  of  the  waves 
against  the  ship,  the  roar  of  the 
wind,  the  cries  of  the  officers  on 
deck,  made  a  dismal  medley. 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  a  sailor,"" 
said   Rick. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Ralph,  tumbling 
now  into  Rick's  berth,  declaring 
that   he    wanted  company. 

"  I  hope  we  won't  get  near 
the  shore  and  go  on  to  the  rocks,"" 
groaned   Rick. 

"I  wish  I  was  in  Concord,"" 
thought  Ralph. 

"  Let's   get    into    Uncle  Nat's  berth,  Ralph,  quick  as   w^e  can  put."" 
"  Come  on." 

Two  figures  in  white  made  their  way  through  the  dimly-lighted 
cabin,  bruising  their  shins  against  pieces  of  overturned  furniture,, 
and  as  they  were  crawling  into  Uncle  Nat's  berth,  the  ship  gave 
a  sudden  lurch  and  in  went  the  boys  all  in  a  heap !  It  was  a 
heap  that   was    very   much    "  mixed   up " 

"  What's  here  ? "  said  Uncle  Nat,  hurrying  into  his  state-room, 
and  swinging  a  lantern  over  the  heap  in  his  l^erth.  •■'A  regular 
puddin',  all  lumped  together !  Well,  boys,  stay  here,  and  don't  worry. 
Remember  that  Uncle   Nat   is   round ! " 


NOT   SO    "glorious"   TO    liK   A    SAILOR. 


THE  SrOKM. 


3" 


"  And  there  is  Somebody  else  round,"  whispered  Rick.  "  Let's 
say    our   prayers    over   again." 

Trembling  young  mariners  !  How  they  wished  they  were  saying  them 
beside  a   certain    little   bed   in    Concord. 

Rick  at    last   had    so    many  "  sticks  "  in   his    eyes  that  he  dropped 


into  a  slumber  ;  Ralph,  thougli,  kept  awake,  listening  to  the  wind  and 
the  crash  of  the  waves.  .  Toward  morning,  there  came  a  heavier  sea 
forcing  its  way  into  the  after-house.  Creeping  to  the  door  of 
the  state-room,  Ralph  saw  the  water  splashing  across  the  cabin- 
floor  and  creating  an  ugly  panic.  Uncle  Nat  here  rushed  in,  the 
water    dripping    profusely  from    his    oil-cloth    suit. 

''All  right  here,"  he  sang  out.  '"Ah,  Ralph  I  And  the  doctor  and 
the  ladies  ?  " 

"  0  captain  !  AVh?t,  shall  we  do  in  this  terrible  storm  ?  "  screamed 
a  female  voice  from  a  state-room. 

"  Still  alive !  "  shouted  the  doctor,  thrusting  his  head  forward. 

''  Oh,  we  shall  weather  it !  Don't  be  afraid,  ladies  !  "  cheerily  cried 
Uncle  Nat.     •'  Where's  Rick  ?  " 

Rick  could  answer  for  himself,  as  he  was  now  awake,  and  Uncle  Nat 


312  ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

going  to  his  berth  held  up  his  lantern,  and  by  its  light  saw  a  pale 
little  face  in  among  the  bed-clothes. 

'^  I  was  trying,  uncle,  to  say :  '  'Twas  midnight  on  the  waters.'  " 

"  Well,  that's  good ;  I  didn't  know  but  what  I  might  have  to  say 
that  or  something  else  like  it,  on  the  waters  themselves.  Rick,  for  that 
last  big  wave  almost  swept  me  into  the  sea.  I  happened  to  put  my 
hand  out,  and  caught  a  ring-bolt,  and  that  saved  me.  You  want  to 
tell  me  something,  Rick  ?  What  is  it  ?  '  Put  my  head  lower  ? '  Now 
tell  me  !  " 

"I  have  prayed  for  you,  uncle,"  whispered  Rick. 

"  Dear  little  suppliant !  I  guess  we  will  come  out  all  right,  for  the 
rain  has  been  holding  up,  and  our  blow  can't  last  always." 

He  left  the  boys  and  went  out  again.  When  it  was  light  enough  to 
see  anything  distinctly.  Rick  put  his  head  out  of  the  cabin-door.  The 
sea  was  rolling  up  in  every  direction  into  hills  — "  ten  thousand  of 
them,"  said  Rick  ;  and  these  only  curled  over  and  fell  in  ten  thousand 
.shattering,  foaming  cascades.  In  the  midst  of  this  green  and  white 
whirl,  this  anger  and  froth  and  tumult,  rocked  the  Antelope,  insignificant 
as  a  straw  on  the  surface  of  a  spring-freshet.  Rick  drew  in  his  head, 
and  concluded  that  he  did  not  care  to  cultivate  the  sea  for  a  living. 
But  storms  do  not  rage  forever.  All  that  day  the  wind  was  lessening 
its  violence.  Tlie  waves  began  to  lower.  Overhead,  there  were  grayish 
rents  in  the  black  heavens.  Finally,  there  was  peace,  and  white 
summer-clouds  tufted  the  sky.  When  the  sea  had  gone  down,  and  the 
vast  waters  swept  away  imruffled,  then  Rick  said  :  ^^  I  guess  I  would  like 
to  be  a  sailor." 

The  wind  was  again  blowing  in  the  direction  of  Melbourne,  and  the 
Antelope  raced  along  rapidly.  As  the  days  went  by,  her  white  antlers 
were  seen  in  Port  Philip  Bay,  then  in  Hobson's  Bay,  finally  halting  at 
Hobson's  Bay  Railway  Pier. 


THE  STORM.  315 

"  The  port  of  Melbourne  is  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  city,  though 
the  Yarra-Yarra  river,  boys,  flows  up  to  Melbourne,  and  smaller  vessels 
yo  there  ;    but  we  stop  here,"   said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  What   is  the   name   of  Melbourne's  port  ? "  asked  Ralph. 

"  Sandridge." 

It  was  now  December,  1880,  and  Uncle  Nat  had  told  the  boys  they 
should  have  an  opportunity  to  see  Australia's  International  Exhibition 
at  Melbourne.  Uncle  Nat's  movements  were  delayed,  but  he  told 
Bumble-bee,  who  was  going  to  the  city,  that  he  might  take  the 
boys  with  him,  and  give  them  a  look  at  the  exhibition. 

"  'Fraid  now,  cap'n,  I  couldn't  manage  both  in  a  crowd ;  but  I  might 
take  jest  one  —  Rick,  say,"  replied  Bumble-bee. 

Rick  was  getting  to  be  a  favorite  with  Bumble-bee  ;  a  rather  singular 
thing,  iox  Bumble-bee  was  reckoned    an     enemy    to    boys    in  general. 

'^  He's  pert,  and  sometimes  can  be  sassy,"  soliloquized  the  old 
cook,  explaining  the  matter  to  himself ;  "  but  den  he's  a  heap 
smart,  and  I  see  a  zemblance  between  him  and  my  grandson, 
Nebuchadnezzar." 

Nebuchadnezzar  was  a  colored  young  citizen  of  Charlestown,  Mass.,. 
and  the  ''  zemblance "  between  him  and  Rick  Old  Bumble-bee  had 
suggested  to  Jack  Bobstay.     Jack  could  not  appreciate  it. 

"  Oh,  it's  not  so  much  de  —  de  features,"  explained  Old  Bumble- 
bee, "  but  it's  de   'spression." 

''  Yes,"  said  Jack,  ''  it  must  be  that ;  "  for  he  had  puzzled  his  brains 
over  the  problem  of  the  "  zemblance." 

Bumble-bee   and    Rick   took    the   cars   at    Sandridge  for    Melbourne. 

Alighting  at  the  city  station  they  found  themselves  in  a  crowd,  all 
bound  for  the  Great  Exhibition. 

"  Honey,"  said  the  cook,  "  you  jes'  grip  me  'hind,  takin'  hold  good,, 
an'  we'll  go  froo  dis   yer  crowd  in  less  d^n  no  time." 


3i6 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


''I've    got    hold,"    exclaimed    Rick,  seizing    Bumble-bee's    coat-tails. 

^'  Hold  good,  fur  I  wouldn't  drop  ye  fur  de  world,  sartin ;  but  I 
want  both  hands,  chile." 

In  his  younger  days  the  cook  had  been  an  adept  in  the  paddling  of 
a  boat,  and  it  had  impressed  a  peculiar  movement  upon  his  arms  when 
walking  —  for  they  had  a  swing,  as  if  he  were  paddling   still.     There 


]!OURKE   STREET,    MELBOURNE,    1880,    LOOKING    EAST. 


was  a  sinister  design  now  in  the  soul  of  Bumble-bee ;  for  putting  out 
his  arms  he  .  gave  a  sweep  with  them,  as  if  Rick  were  a  boat  just 
behind,  and  somehow  must  be  paddled  along,  and  all  obstacles  must  be 
pressed  aside. 

"•  Hold  on  dar  !     Got  a  sure  grip,  honey  ? "  shouted  the  cook. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  sang  out  Rick. 

The  people  laughed  to  see  this  big  colored  man  paddling  ahead,  in 
his  wake  a  grinning  little  boy  that  clung  to  bis  coat-tails. 

"  Oh,   I  tell  you,  Ralph,"  said  Rick  that  night,   "  it  was  fun ;    and 


THE  STORM. 


517 


Bumble-bee  went  right  ahead,  geeing  this  way,  and  geeing  that.  We 
made  real  good  time,  and  we  got  into  another  crowd  too,  before 
the  day  was  over.  We  were  on  Boiirke  street  —  a  nice  street,  Ralph  ;. 
some  real  nice  buildings  there,  and  lots  of  carriages  were  in  the 
street,  and  in  one  place  the  people  on  the  sidewalk  were  as  thick 
as  bees ;  but  we  went  right  straight  through  them !  I  felt  as 
if   I   was   on  a   train   of   cars." 

"  I  call  you  de  Annex,"  said  Bumble-bee,  looking  round  and 
grinning. 

When  Bumble-bee  and  the  "  Annex "  were  clear  of  the  first 
crowd  that  we  described,  Rick  looked  about  him.  He  noticed  how" 
straight  the  streets  were,  and  that  the  intersecting  ones  crossed  at 
right  angles. 

"  It   makes   me    think   of   Philadelphy,"   observed   Bumble-bee. 

The  streets  were    broad  as  well  as  straight. 

"  They  hab  sumfin'  to  '•  blow '  about  here  in  Melbourne,"  said  Bumble- 
bee, noticing  the  enterprising  aspect  of  the  city,  and  using  a  popular 
Australian  phrase  (known  elsewhere,  also).  "  We'll  hunt  up  dat  Great 
Internal    Exhibition    fust,   you  know,   honey,"     continued    Bumble-bee. 

They  found  it  in  Carlton  Gardens.  The  buildings,  which  cost 
about  one  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  covered 
five  and  a  half  acres  of  ground.  The  main  building,  shaped  like  a 
cross,  was  five  hundred  feet  long,  traversed  by  a  transept  two 
hundred  and  seventy  feet  deep.  The  dome  rose  at  the  intersection 
of  the  nave  and  transept,  and  reached  an  altitude  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty-three  feet.  Its  great  height  made  it  a  landmark  for  miles 
around.  The  grounds  were  decorated  with  flowers,  and  everywhere 
wore  the  beauty  of  summer,  while  fountains  gracefully  threw  into  the 
air  their  crystal  streams.  Bumble-bee  and  Rick  wandered  about, 
drifting  with  the  throng  that   surged  forward   and  backward.     Many 


3iJ 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRJSE  LANJJS. 


nations  were  interested  in  the  exhibition,  and  contributed  generously. 
There  were  all  kinds  of  goods,  machinery  and  productions.  After 
a  while  they  came  to  the  department  of  the  United  States.  As  Old 
Bumble-bee  surveyed  its  display,  he  swelled'  with  that  secret  convic- 
tion, "  I  am  an  American  citizen." 

"  Come  here,  honey,"  he  whispered  to  Rick.  They  retired  to  a 
secluded  nook  behind  a  barricade  of  goods.  There  the  loyal  old  heart 
whispered  :  "  Now,  chile,  let's  gib  free  sheers  for  de  Stars  and  Stripes  ; 
sort  ob  easy,  ye    know  —  whisper-like." 

And  there  in  the  dusky  corner.  Bumble-bee  and  his  ward  cheered 
^' sort-ob-easy "  for  the  dear  old  flag. 

"'Bress  him!"  thought  Bumble-bee.  "He  does  look  so  much  like 
my  Nebucliadnezzar." 


THE   PUBLIC    MUSEUM   ANJJ    LIBRARY. 


They  visited  one  other  noteworthy  place  that  day;  Melbourne's 
public  museum  and  library. 

"  I'm  so  much  interested  in  de  cause  ob  ed-di-fication,"  said  Bumble- 
■bee,  "  dat  I  must  see  dis." 


I   WONDER    WHICH    WAY    HUME    IS? 


CHAPTER    XXXVII 


" GOLD  !    GOLD  ! 


T  TNCLE  Nat  had  taken  the  boys  to  the  sea-shore  and  Rick  had 
^-^  improved  the  first  opportunity  that  offered  to  occupy  a  sand- 
hummock,  and,  bare-headed  and  bare-footed,  he  looked  off  upon  the 
waters  sweeping  away  to  the  blue,  misty  line  of  the  horizon.  He 
was    talking    to  himself : 

"Uncle  Nat  says  we  are  going  to  leave  soon.  He  wants  to 
show  us  a  sheep-farm  and  some  gold-mines,  and  then  we  are  going 
to   China.     I    wonder    which  way    home    is !  " 

There  he  reclined,  watching  the  birds  in  their  flight,  a  distant 
sail,  and  the  wide,  level  sea.  He  rose  finally  and  began  to  hunt 
for     Ralph,     soon     finding     him. 

319 


320  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Ralph,  where  is  Ballaarat  ?  Uncle  Nat  says  he  is  to  take  ii» 
up   there    to   see  the  gold   mines." 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Ralph,  disliking  to  confess  that  he  knew  as  little 
about   Ballaarat   as   Rick;    "Bal  —  Balrat  is  — " 

"  Ballaa-rat,"    interrupted   Rick.     "  That    is   the   way !  " 

"  Well,  what  difference  does  it  make  what  kind  of  rat  it  is  ?  It  is 
up  in  the  country  somewhere  —  a  country-rat ;  and  it  must  be  worth 
seeing." 

Having  received  this  important  information,  Rick  began  to  think 
over  various  preparations  for  the  trip.  -^A  bag  I  must  have  ready^ 
'cause  if  I  should  find  any  gold  lying  round  loose  I  should  want 
something  in  which  to  put  it.  Wouldn't  it  be  nice  to  get  it  full  ? 
And   to-morrow  we  start.     Good  !  " 

To-morrow  came  fast  enough,  at  least  for  Uncle  Nat  who  was  busy 
with  all  kinds  of  work.  He  found  time  in  the  morning,  though,  to 
show  his  inquisitive  nephews  the  beautiful  Government  House,  whose 
tower  rises  up  into  the  air  one  hundred  and  forty-five  feet.  From  its- 
top  there  is  a  far-reaching,  magnificent  view.  After  this  visit,  Uncle 
Nat  and  the  boys  took  the  cars    for   Ballaarat. 

"Who's  that?"  whispered  Rick  to  Uncle  Nat,  as  they  looked  out 
of  the  car  window.  It  was  a  dark-faced,  thick-haired,  roughly-dressed 
sort  of  a  savage  that  they  saw. 

"  That's  one  of  the  natives  of  the  country.  I'll  hunt  up  a  picture 
of  them  when  I  can." 

That  day  the  boys  saw  a  picture  of  the  natives  of  Australia. 
There  were  about  twenty  in  the  group.  They  had  dark  faces,  an 
abundance  of  black  hair,  wide  mouths,  flat  noses,  sharp  little  eyes,  and, 
as  Ralph  said,  were  "  clothed  variously."  One  at  least  sported  a  shirt- 
collar,  and  three  wore  hats  or  caps. 

"  They  like  to  live    out-doors    in  summer,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  "  and  in 


''GOLBI     GOLD!"  323 

rough  weather,  live  or  stay  in  bark  huts.  On  t'fie  sea-shore  they  have 
bark  canoes  for  their  fishing.  They  don't  Hke  steady  work,  their  ideas 
of  rehgion  are  low,  and  they  would  make  good  Mormans  if  they  were  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  judging  by  the  number  of  wives  the  men  like  to  have." 

We  return  to   the  ride  in  the  cars. 

••  Now,  boys,  I  will  tell  you  about  the  finding  of  gold  in  Australia," 
said  Uncle  Nat.  "  Gold  was  first  found  in  a  little  stream  called 
Sumrnerhill  Creek,  in  New  South  Wales.  That  was  in  May,  1851. 
The  next  month  it  was  found  in  Ballaarat,  Victoria.  When  it  was 
known,  a  furious  rush  for  the  gold-country  began.  They  came  flocking 
to  Ballaarat  at  the  rate  of  five  hundred  a  day.  The  shearer  quit 
his  sheep  and  the  house-servant  left  the  kitclien.  Policemen  had  no 
further  use  for  their  badges  and  sailors  forsook  their  ships.  Every- 
body was  going  to  the  gold-diggings.  Of  course  no  houses  were 
there,  and  so  there  were  streets  of  canvas  tents.  But  very  naturally, 
the  question  came  up,  '  Who  owns  the  gold  ? '  Could  a  man  stick 
in  his  pick  wherever  he  pleased  ?  Government  said  a  miner  must 
pay  thirty  shillings  a  month  for  the  privilege  of  digging,  and  then 
fehe  tax  was  raised  to  three  pounds  a  month.  It  was  difficult  for 
government  to  collect  the  tax,  as  the  miners  hated  it ;  and  some  re- 
fused to  pay.  At  Ballaarat  there  was  so  much  trouble  that,  the 
miners  having  fortified  a  certain  position,  an  attack  was  made  upon 
them  at  night,  and  thirty  or  forty  of  the  miners  were  killed.  But 
things  quieted  down  at  last.  Gold  has  now  been  found  in  Sandhurst 
and  other  places.  It  is  said  that  in  Victoria  one-third  of  the  soil 
is   considered   to    be  gold-bearing." 

When  the  boys  alighted  at  Ballaarat,  Rick  expected  to  see  a 
string  of  canvas  tents  and  run  into  a  lot  of  miners  carrying  picks 
on  their  shoulders  and  shovels  in  their  hands ;  a  wild,  rough  country 
all    about   them.     He   hoped,  too,  he   might   see   a    piece    of    shining 


324  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

gold  sticking  out  of  the  soil  that  would  be  prey  for  his  bag.  In- 
stead, he  saw  a  city.  There  were  houses,  stores,  banks,  churches, 
schools   and   public   gardens. 

Rick  was  disappointed,  and  took  little  interest  in  the  fact  that 
a  gentleman  was  detailing  to  Uncle  Nat  that  Ballaarat  had  not 
far  from  fifty  thousand  people. 

"  Come,  boys,  we  are  going  to  visit  a  gold  mine,"  called  out  Uncle 
Nat.     He  had  hired  a  team,  and  off  they  rattled. 

"  Good  !  "  thought  Rick.  "  There  may  be  a  chance  for  my  bag,  and 
I'll  take  Bumble-bee  one  piece  of  gold,  sure." 

First,  the  boys  saw  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  an  iron  box  or  cage 
waiting  to  lower  them  —  somewhere.  They  went  down,  down,  down, 
and  then  stopped.  There  Rick  saw  a  horse  harnessed  into  -a  truck  resting 
on  a  railway.  Mounting  the  truck  they  were  steadily  pulled  through 
a   long,  damp,  dark   passage. 

*'  I  rode  along  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  one  of  these  underground 
holes  once,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  "  and  then  climbing  a  ladder  twenty-five 
feet  high,  we  came  to  'another  hole  traversed  by  a  track.  Running 
out  of  this  second  tunnel  were  side-passages,  and  in  these  miners 
were  at  work." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  when  we  get  to  the  end  of  this  kind  of  travel," 
said  Ralph. 

They  reached  the  end  and  then  the  manager  of  the  mine  who  had 
come  with  Uncle  Nat,   said  they  were  inspecting  "  alluvial  grit." 

"  What  alluvial  grit  is,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  ^'  please  tell  these  wide- 
awake boys,  who  would  like  to  know  about  it." 

"  It  is  earth  washed  down  by  a  stream,  and  gold  may  be  in  it. 
Swept  this  way  by  the  water,  it  has  lodged  here.  See,  all  covered 
up  under  the  ground !     We  dig  for  and  find  it." 

The  manager  took  a  light  and  held  it  over  the  earth. 


''GOLD!     GOLD."'  325 

"Do  you  see  the  bits  of  gold  —  the  tiny  little  specks  there?" 

"Oh-h-h!"  said  the  boys,  with  an  affirmative  tone. 

There  it  was,  flashing  like  very  minute  stars  out  of  a  very  dingy 
heaven.  Rick  wanted  to  pick  up  a  memento  for  Bumble-bee,  but 
he  restrained  himself. 

"  Now  if  you  will  come  back  with  me,"  said  the  manager,  "  I  will 
show  you  what  we  do  with  the  dirt." 

Riding  back  and  riding  up  again,  they  were  glad  to  leave  the 
darkness  and  dampness  behind  them,  though  Rick  said  he  was  '•  sorry 
to  leave  the  poor  miners  boxed  up  down-stairs."  A  call  came  for 
somebody ! 

The  manager  stopped  and  listened.  "I  am  very  sorry,  friends," 
he   said,  "but  I  must  leave  you." 

When  he  had  gone,  Uncle  Nat  said :  "  Well,  boys,  we,  too,  ought 
to  be  going,  but  I  can  tell  you  something,  for  I  have  been  here  before 
and  seen  the  gold-dirt  puddled  or  mixed  with  water.  The  earth  was 
put  in  a  trough  and  water  poured  in.  I  was  on  a  platform  at  the  top 
of  the  machinery,  and  saw  that  the  matter  in  the  trough  was  worked 
by  something  like  a  harrow.  The  water  and  mud  ran  off,  and  the 
weight  of  the  gold  and  any  refuse  carried  it  to  the  bottom.  Water 
was  again  poured  in  with  the  gold,  a  man  working  it  all  over,  the 
gold  once  more  sinking  to  the  bottom,  the  stones  and  mud  passing 
off.  When  the  gold  had  been  separated,  it  was  gathered  up  and  put 
into  earthen  pots.  It  was  then  melted,  poured  into  molds,  washed, 
and  sent  off  to  the  bank." 

"  But,  uncle,"  inquired  Ralph,  "  I  thought  there  were  quartz-crushers." 

"  So  there  are,  for  they  take  out  a  good  deal  of  quartz  also  in 
Australia.     I  guess   we  must  stop  to  see   the   crushing." 

Another  mine  was  visited.  Here,  the  gold  was  found  in  quartz.  A 
quantity  had  been  brought  to  the  surface,   and  a    workman  explained 


326  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

to  Uncle  Nat  and  the  boys  the  process  of  quartz-crushing : 
"  There,  here  is  machinery  for  breaking  up  the  rock  taken  from  the 
mine.  We  use  stampers,  as  we  call  them,  and  they  are  worked 
by  steam.  The  quartz  is  thrown  under  the  stampers  and  these  break 
the  quartz  into  a  powder  in  the  midst  of  a  current  of  water.  By 
that  current  the  powder  is  swept  away  and  carried  over  quicksilver, 
which  collects  the  gold.  Then  we  place  this  in  a  retort,  and  separate 
the  gold.  Perhaps  these  young  gentlemen  would  like  to  carry  off  a 
little  memento  of  the   quartz." 

The  young  gentlemen  were  very  happy  to  do  so.  While  Siah,  Jack 
Bobstay,  the  doctor  and  the  ladies  were  remembered,  it  was  a  relief  to 
Rick  to  be  able  to  carry  home  a  specimen  to  the  dusky  monarch  of  the 
ship's  kitchen. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 


A    BIG    SHEEP    FARM. 


"DAH!  bah!  "went  Rick 
-'—'one  morning. 

"Bah!  bah!  "was  Ralph's 
echoing  cry. 

"  That  means,"  exclaim- 
ed Uncle  Nat,  "  that  you 
are  expecting  to  start  for 
that  big  sheep  farm  to-day, 
and  we  will  go  as  soon  as 
you  are  ready.  We  have 
a  long  ride  in  the  cars, 
and  then  another  piece 
to  travel  by  horse-power, 
and  it  will  take  us  the 
most  of  three  days.  An 
old  friend,  Mr.  Bright,  will 
then  meet  us  and  take  us 
in  his  team." 

The  joutney  was  con- 
tinued as  planned,  and  Mr.  Bright  met  them  at  the  appointed  place. 
He  was  a  broad-shouldered,  full-bearded  man,  his  face  and  hands  well 
tanned  by  exposure  to  the  sun,  his   manner   very  energetic,    and  his 

327 


A  DOG  RAN  UP  AND  BARKED  AT  THEM. 


328  ALL  ALWARD  LOR  SUARJSE  LAXDS. 

whole  air  that  of  a  person  to  whom  in  an  emergency  you  would 
be  likely  to  run,  and  he  would  work  for  you ;  and  yet  if  you  were  a 
servant  in  his  employ,  he  would  very  quickly  set  you  to  work  for 
him.  He  wore  a  felt  hat  with  a  broad,  slouching  brim,  and  he  car- 
ried in  his  hand  a  horse-whip.  Behind  him,  patiently  stood  two  big 
dogs  that  he  afterwards  designated  as  "  Tom  and  Jim,  my  favorites." 

Mr.  Bright  was  very  cordial,  and  he  advanced,  holding  out  a  plump, 
sun-baked  hand. 

"  Halloo,  cap'n !  Welcome  to  the  bush !  I  am  glad  to  see  you ! 
How  —  how  d'ye  do  ? "  and  he  griped  Uncle  Nat's  hand  with  un- 
mistakable heartiness.  Then  came  an  energetic  discharge  of  questions, 
flying  at  the  captain  in  quick  succession,  like  revolver-shots.  He 
could    only  pick   up    the   first    shot   and   reply  to    that. 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  Sam,  I  am  well.  These  are  my  nephews,  who 
want   to   see   what   the   buhh   is  and   how   sheep  in    the    bush    look." 

"Well,  they  are  entirely  welcome,  and  I'll  take  the  best  care  of 
'em,  see  if  I  don't." 

"  Isn't  he    splendid,  Rick  ?  "  whispered   Ralph. 

"He's  big,  Ralph." 

"  Now  we  are  going  to  ride  off  into  the  bush,  boys,"  said  Mr. 
Bright. 

"  What  is  the  bush  ?  "  asked  Ralph.     "  Is  it  where  bushes  grow  ? " 

"  Ha,  ha !  Pretty  big  bushes !  Let  me  say  that  the  lands  mostly 
occupied  in  Australia  are  wood-land,  though  our  people  have  occu- 
pied some  plains.  There  are  the  Darling  Downs  in  our  country, 
immense  prairies,  level,  and  more  like  prairies  in  the  United  States. 
About  the  second  week  in  September  they  are  just  one  sea  of  green. 
They  are  splendid  plains,  and  the  sheep  occupy  them  for  graz- 
ing. The  most  of  the  country,  though,  that  is  occupied  is  wood- 
land, and    there   are   two   names  for  it ;    scrub  and  bush.     Wlien  the 


A  BIG  SHEEP  FARM, 


329 


undergrowth  is  very  close  and  thick  and  tangled,  so  that  you  must 
fight  your  way  ahead,  axe  in  hand,  we  call  it  '  scrub.'  When  there 
is  not  much  undergrowth  and  the  trees  are  sort  of  open,  and  a 
man  on  horseback  can    get  comfortably  through  the  woods,  then  we 


PRIZE   AUSTRALIAN    SHEEP. 


call    it   the   'bush.'     You    have   been   riding   in    the   bush   already   a 
long  time." 

As  Mr.  Bright  said,  they  had  for  a  long  time  been  riding  in  the 
bush.  They  had  been  journeying  among  trees,  trees,  trees.  Austra- 
lian scenery  is  peculiar.  The  woodland  is  generally  more  like  a 
park   of   trees   than  a  dense   forest.      The    traveller    does   not   often 


330  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

meet  with  patches  or  streams  of  water,  to  vary  and  brighten  the 
landscape ;    but    his   journey    is   through  forest   after    forest. 

"  What   are   these   trees  ? "   asked   Ralph. 

"  The  bush  is  of  the  gum-tree  growth,"  said  Mr.  Bright.  "  Botanists 
call  it  the  eucalyptus,  but  we  common  folks  say  gum-tree.  There 
are  a  good  many  kinds  in  all  Australia.  Sometimes  it  grows  very 
big.  I  have  seen  a  gum-tree  that  measured  sixteen  feet  through 
the  trunk,  and  one  tree  I  heard  of  had  run  up  to  the  height  of 
four  hundred  and  eighty  feet !  Why,  they  say  a  plank  one  hundred 
and  forty-eight  feet  long  has  been  sawed  out  of  a  gum-tree.  When 
so  very  tall,  running  up  straight,  without  branches  for  a  long  way, 
they  are   handsome  as  pillars  in  a  church. " 

"  Why   do  they   call   them   gum-trees  ? "   asked   Rick. 

"  Because  a  kind  of  gum  escapes  from  the  tree.  There  is  one  kind 
that  the  natives  use  as  food,  and  another  serves  as  a  medicine,  and 
a  third,  when  tapped,  gives  out  a  juice  from  which  a  kind  of  beer 
has  been  made ;   and  that,   I  think,  they  might  as  well  let  alone." 

"  Oh,  Ralph,  what  is  that  ?  A  'possum,  I  guess.  Bumble-bee  says 
he  would  give  anything  to  see  one." 

"  Where  is  it,  Rick  ? "  asked  Mr.  Bright. 

'"  There,  that  dark  thing  in  the  bush,"  answered  Rick,  anxious 
to  show   off  his  familiarity   with   Australian    phraseology. 

"  Oh  !  "  laughed  Mr.  Bright.     "  That  creature  ?     That  is  a  kangaroo." 

"He  doesn't  seem  to  be  frightened." 

"  Why  should  he  be  ?     You  could  not  catch  him." 

"There  are  two  or  three  of  them.     Let's  chase  them." 

'"  Do  you  want  to  try  it,  Rick  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes." 

Mr.  Bright  kindly  pulled  in  his  horses,  and  they  all  jumped  out 
and   together   made    for   the   kangaroos.      These   looked   about,   as   if 


A  BIG  SHEEP  FARM.  331 

stupidly  wondering  what  these  folks  were  up  to,  and  then  giving  sev- 
eral tremendous  leaps,  they  bounded  away  in  a  style  that  mocked 
all  would-be  pursuers,  and  were  lost  among  the  gum-trees.  The  ride 
was  resumed. 

"  Trees,  trees,  trees  !  "  said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Yes,  but  in  a  couple  of  hours  you  will  see  something  beside 
bush,"  replied  his  host. 

At  the  end  of  two  hours.  Uncle  Nat  looking  up,  saw  a — house! 

''What's  that,  Sam?" 

"  That  ?  It  looks  like  a  house,  doesn't  it  ?  That  is  our  stopping-place." 

^'  Your  place  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  must  be  mine,  for  it  belongs  to  no  one  else." 

It  was  a  two-story  house,  a  veranda  bordering  the  front  side. 
Back  of  it,  and  on  either  side,  were  grouped  various  buildings;  a 
kitchen,  house   for  servants,   stable  and  carriage-house. 

Mr.  Bright's  wife,  a  young  woman  in  a  blue  dress,  her  arms  full, 
of  a  fat  baby,  came  out  to   the  veranda  and  welcomed  them. 

"  There  will  be  time  before  dark,"  said  Mr.  Bright,  "  to  take  a 
stroll  on  my  place,  if  you  would  like  to  go.  We  will  have  something 
to  eat,  though,  first." 

After  a  lunch,  Mr.  Bright   took  his  visitors  out-doors  again. 

''  There,"  he  said,  looking  about  him,  "  this  is  my  home-paddock,  and 
by  that  the  boys  will  understand  just  an  enclosure.  I  may  have  about 
sixty  acres  here.  It  is  all  fenced  in  quite  securely,  and  it  gives  my 
horses  a  chance  to  run  about ;  and  to  catch  the  four  or  five  that  are 
loose,  I  keep  one  in  the  stable.  These  are  for  personal  or  home  use. 
Now  we  will  cross  this  paddock,  and  just  beyond  comes  a  second,  that 
m.ay  enclose  three  hundred  acres,  and  I  keep  my  working  horses  here  ; 
about  thirty.  Next  to  this  is  my  wool-shed  paddock ;  and  halloo  !  there 
is  a   sign   of  it  among  those  trees." 


332 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


In  a  partially  cleared  space,  they  saw  two  representatives  of  the 
Ba-a-a  family. 

''  You  must  not  take  these  as  specimens  of  Australian  sheep.  Not 
nmch  wool  on  them  !  They  will  look  real  baggy  though,  after  a  while. 
My  wool-shed  paddock  is  pretty  big,  and  has  about  fifteen  hundred 
acres  in  it,  but  I  guess  you  have  seen  enough  for  one  day,  and  to- 
morrow you  shall  see   more." 

"  Do  you  find  much  game  about  here  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 


S'<-^ 


,   A 


NOT    MUCH   WOOL   ON    THK.M. 


"  Oh  yes  ;  a  kangaroo  hunt  is  quite  exciting.     I  was  out  last  week." 
"  You  have  some  nice  dogs." 

*'  Oh  yes,  T  am  a  great  dog-man,  and   have  a  big  family  of  various 
kinds  and  sizes,  when  you  put  them  together.     It  is  one  of  my  hobbies.'* 


A  BIG  SHEEP  EARM.  333 

After  the  return  to  the  house,  came  a  season  of  very  hospitable 
feasting.  Then  all  spent  the  evening  on  the  veranda,  that  was  made 
very  comfortable  with  its  lounging-chairs  and  sofas.  The  boys 
went  to  bed  early.  Before  jumping  into  his  nest,  Ealph  looked  out  of 
the  window.  It  was  a  still,  starry  night.  All  around  the  house, 
standing  a  little  way  off,  as  if  to  respectfully  recognize  the  presence 
of   their   master's    mansion,  was  a  shadowy  line  of  trees. 

"And  on  the  other  side  of  the  world  is  old  Concord.  I  wonder 
what   they  are   doing   there ! " 

After  this  soliloquy,  Ralph  turned  to  the  bed.  He  was  wondering 
whether  he  had  better  inaugurate  a  pillow-fight  with  Rick,  when  he 
heard   a  snoring. 

"  Nonsense,  he's  gone  to  sleep!  I'll  put  it  off  till  morning,"  and 
having  made  this  resolve,  Ralph  sprang  into  bed  to  pass  his  first  night 
in  bush-land.  He  was  awake  early  the  next  morning,  only  to 
find  that  though  he  had  a  bed,  he  lacked  a  bed-fellow.  Rick 
had   gone. 

"  That's  mean ! "  exclaimed  the  disappointed  knight  of  the  pillow. 
He  hastily  dressed  and  went  out-doors.  The  sun  was  already  look- 
ing over  the  wall  of  gum-trees  beyond  the  house,  making  an  early 
inspection  of  the  grounds.  Ralph  went  to  the  kitchen,  which  was 
quite  near  the    house. 

"  Have  you  seen  my  brother,  a  boy  not  so  big  as  me  ? "  he  asked 
the    cook. 

"  I  guess  I  have.  I  gave  him  a  lunch,  and  I  guess  he  has  gone 
down   to   the    wool-shed ;    for   he   went    that  way." 

"The    wool-shed!" 

"  Oh,  he  is  all  right,"  and  the  cook  turned  a  piece  of  steak  she 
was  broiling. 

"  Uncle    Nat   won't   like   that,"   thought    Ralph. 


334  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 

Uncle  Nat  though  was  fast  asleep,  and  when  he  did  awake,  an- 
swering the  ringing  of  a  big  house-bell,  he  told  Ralph  at  the  table 
that  they  were  all  going  after  breakfast  to  the  wool-shed,  and  he 
added,  "  I  miss  Rick,  but  I  guess  the  young  man  from  Concord  is  there." 

Breakfast  over,  Mr.  Bright  and  his  guests  were  speedily  on  their 
way   to   the   wool-shed. 

"  That's  my  wool-shed,"  said  Mr.  Bright  finally,  pointing  out  a 
long,  low  wooden  building.  "  Stop  one  moment.  About  here  I  found, 
one  day  last  week,  my  child,  away  now  visiting.  The  little  thing 
does  like  sheep,  especially  a  plump  little  sheep,  and  the  Uking 
seems  to  be  mutual.  When  missed  the  other  day,  my  child  was 
found  down  here,  fast  asleep,  a  lot  of  sheep  close  by  and  on  guard, 
I  suppose,  while  their  keeper  had  a  nap.  Oh,  I  was  going  to  tell 
you  about  my  paddocks !  Outside  this  that  hems  in  my  wool-shed, 
are  paddocks  for  the  sheep  when  at  large,  one  having  fifteen 
thousand  acres  and  two  others  have  ten  thousand  each.  Then  I 
have   a  smaller  paddock  where    my    cattle   are." 

"  Do  you  have  a  fence  round  all  these  ?  "  inquired  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Oh  yes,  miles  of  it ;  fifty,  we  will  say.  Sometimes  it  is  a  ^  chock 
and  log '  fence ;  that  is,  logs  resting  on  blocks,  and  sometimes  it  is  of 
bushes  laid  lengthwise,  and  then  fastened  down  by  forked  sticks.  Now 
if  a  run,  as  we  call  it  —  a  range  of  ground  for  feeding  sheep  —  should 
not  be  fenced,  then  I  must  have  shepherds  to  look  after  my  flocks,  and 
the  sheep  must  be  penned  up  at  night.  If  a  run  is  fenced,  I  have  what 
we  call  boundary-riders,  each  rider  having  at  his  disposal  a  couple  of 
horses,  and  he  rides  about,  looking  after  both  sheep  and  fences,  and 
sometimes  he  must  trot  lively.     There  is  a  boundary  rider." 

They  saw  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  wool-paddock  a  man  on  horse- 
back. 

"  There  is  a  character  I'have  met  in  the  United  States,  that  they  would 


A  BIG  SHEEP  FARM. 


337 


call  an  outrider  —  a  kind  of  cousin  to  your  boundary  rider.     It  is  a 
similar  style  of  being,"  said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Come  into  my  wool-shed,  please.     My  men  finish    shearing  about 
Christmas-time,  and  they  are  still  at  work,"  said 
Mr.  Bright. 

"  The  sheep  have  been  washed  in  the  wash-pool. 
It  is  not  anywhere  near,  but  after  this  first  step 
in  the  process  of  wool-stripping,  they  are  driven 
here.  They  next  are  taken  into  these  pens  in 
the  shed  —  see,  some  have  been  driven  in  already, 
and  there  go  the  shearers  for  their  booty !  " 

The    shearers     would    make    a    dive    for    the 
sheep,    bring   them    out   to    '"  the 
board  "  or  floor,  and  in  a  very  short 
time  clip  "•  Ba-ba's  "  coat  of  wool 
from  the  back. 

"  Tar !  "  shouted  a  shearer. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  asked 
Ralph. 

"  The  shears  clipped  too  close  and  cut  the  skin  of  the  sheep,  and  we 
put  the  tar  upon  the  wound,"  explained  Mr.  Bright. 

A  boy  with  a  tar-pot  now  came  hurrying  up  and  gave  the  wounded 
spot  a  plaster  at  once. 

"•  After  the  removal  of  the  wool,"  said  Mr.  Bright,  ''  a  man  called  a 
•  sorter,'  takes  it  and  gives  it  a  place  according  to  its  merits.  When  the 
wool  has  been  sorted  it  is  packed  into  bales,  which  are  then  pressed, 
and  finally  loaded  on  wagons  that  will  need  a  dozen  bullocks,  maybe, 
to  haul  them  to  some  place  of  transportation." 

"  Tar  !  "  shouted  a  shearer. 

There  was  no  response. 


A  COUSIN  TO  YOUR  BOUNDARY- 
RIDER. 


338  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"  Tar !  tar! "  he  called  again. 

"  Tar !  tar !  tar  !    TAR ! "  he  screamed  angrily  to  the  tar-pot  boy. 

He  now  rushed  up,  and  another  wound  was  poulticed. 

"  That  boy  was  tar-dy,"  suggested  Uncle  Nat.  They  stood  watching 
the  shearers,  when  Uncle  Nat  exclaimed :  "  But  where's  Rick  ?  1 
expected   to  see  my  nephew  down  here,  Mr.  Bright." 

"  The  men  say  a  boy  has  been  here,  cap'n,  and  I  guess  it  was  Rick- 
and  he  probably  went  home  again." 

"  Then  we  shall  find  him  at  your  house  ? " 

But  Ralph  had  a  suspicion  that  his  venturesome  brother  was  not 
there,  and  when  Uncle  Nat  returned  to  the  house,  Ralph  lingered  to 
make  a  hunt  for  Rick.     Where  could  Rick  be  ? 

Rick  had  left  the  house,  crazy  to  get  off  into  the  bush  and  see 
if  he  could  not  find  a  kangaroo.  He  wandered  through  the  home- 
paddock,  and  then  down  to  the  wool-shed  where  a  shearer  and  a  tar-pot 
boy  saw  him,  and  he  then  turned  as  if  going  back  to  the  house,  only  to 
digress  from  the  path  and   strike   off  among  the  trees. 

"  I  mean,  I  mean,"  soliloquized  Rick,  "  to  have  a  real  live  kangaroo,  all 
to  myself,  and  I'll  make  him  hop.  Yes,  I  will ;  see  if  I  don't !  And 
if  I  should  come  across  a  baby-kangaroo,  I  might  nab  him  and  take 
him  home  alive,  and  show  him  to  mother  and  Nurse  Fennel !  Wouldn't 
all  the  boys  in  Concord  flock  to  my  barn  ?  I  tell  ye  !  And  they  would 
come  from  Lexington,  too !  " 

It  was  still  early,  and  Rick  sauntered  off  among  the  trees.  He  soon 
struck  a  cart-path  through  the  bush,  and  presently  heard  the  sound 
of  wheels.  A  man  came  along  riding  in  a  buggy,  and  not  far  behind 
was  a  bullock-dray,  piled  with  bales  of  wool,  and  making  its  way  to 
market.  Then  all  was  still,  save  as  Rick  heard  in  the  bush  a  cock- 
atoo screaming,  or  the  mournful  tones  of  the  magpie. 


A  BIG  SHEEP  FARM.  339 

^'  Lonely,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  Guess  I  will  turn  back  to  the 
wool-shed." 

But  where  were  the  kangaroos,  and  especially  that  much-coveted 
baby-kangaroo  ?  Nothing  turned  up,  and  our  hunter  walked  slowly 
back  to  the  wool-shed. 

^'  What  a  nice  tree,"  he  said.  "  I  wonder  if,  I  couldn't  climb  that !  I 
don't  believe  Ralph   could !  " 

Anxious  to  gain  an  imaginary  victory  over  Ralph,  who  was  not 
there  to  win  a  real  one  for  himself.  Rick  wriggled  his  way  up  among 
the  branches  of  the  tree,  and  silently  perched  on  a  limb  to  meditate 
on  the  possibilities  of  securing  a  baby  kangaroo.  In  a  little  while 
he  noticed  a  movement  over  the  ground.  Something  was  there.  Was 
it  an  animal  stealing  toward  his  tree  ?  It  certainly  was.  His  heart 
began  to  flutter,  when  suddenly  up  among  the  top  branches,  such 
a  noise  was  made  !  It  was  a  combination  of  a  bray  and  a  laugh  and 
a  hoot !  Ralph's  heart  went  quicker  than  ever.  In  his  fright,  he 
made  a  misstep,  and  fell  a  few  feet  to  the  ground.  It  did  not  hurt 
liim ;  but  wh  tt  was  the  matter  with  the  creature  he  had  seen  strangely 
moving  toward  his  tree !  Lifting  itself  and  standing  on  its  hind 
legs,  it  gave  a  tremendous  jump   and  bounded  away. 

"  Oh  dear  !  massy !  "  screamed  Rick,  repeating  an  exclamation  some- 
times heard  in  Concord.  Away  went  the  kangaroo  in  one  direction,  and 
away  went  the  kangaroo-hunter  in  another !  Both  were  thoroughly 
scared,  and  neither  dared  to  look  round. 

''  I  wish  I  had  his  legs ! "  thought  Rick.  Finally,  hearing  no  sound 
of  pursuit,  he  stopped. 

••'  Whew !  Wasn't  that  a  lucky  escape,  and  won't  I  have  a  lot  to 
tell  the  boys  at  home !     Been  as  nigh  a  kangaroo  as  that !  " 

Rick  felt  that  he  had  covered  himself  with  glory,  and  could  now 
return  contented.     Coming  in  sight  of  the  wool-shed,  he  went   on  till 


340  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

he  saw  the  path  from  the  house,  and  this  he  followed  awhile.  In  his 
weariness,  he  turned  aside  to  a  lonely  corner  of  the  paddock  to  rest. 
Throwing  himself  down  upon  the  ground,  he  thought  how  nice  it  would 
be  if  he  had  beneath  his  head  one  of  mother's  "soft  pillows,"  and  as 
he  thought,  his  head  sank  lower  and  lower,  his  eyes  shut  —  but  let 
us  turn  back  to  hunt  up  Ralph.  He  first  went  into  a  paddock,  where 
a  drove  of  cattle  had  been  turned  loose. 

'*  They  are  not  coming  this  way,  I  hope,"  he  said  to  himself. 

They  were,  however.  Whether  they  considered  Ralph  as  a  keeper 
that  might  be  on  the  way  to  them,  announcing  the  arrival  of  a  first- 
class  ,  meal,  no  one  could  say.  Ralph  did  not  relish  this  welcome 
from  such  a  lot  of  big-breasted,  horned  creatures.  Just  then,  a  dog 
ran  out  from  the  bush  near  by,  and  began  to  bark.  It  was  a  ridiculous 
contrast  —  that  pert  canine,  with  his  small,  shrill  bark,  and  those 
burly  oxen !  It  diverted  the  oxen,  though,  and  gave  Ralph  time  enough 
to  gain  a  fence  near  by  and  go  over  it.  The  dog  followed,  and  then 
wagging  his  tail,  looked  up  in  Ralph's  face,  as  if  saying,  "  Come^ 
now  !  If  you  should  guess  could  you  possibly  tell  who  I  am  ?  Did 
you  ever  see  a  dog  of  my  size  with  this  kind  of  tail  that  goes  so 
so  ? "  and  here  the  dog  gave   an  extra   flourish   of  his  tail. 

"  Paws  !  "  shouted  Ralph  ;  "  old  Paws  that  I  knew  in  Sydney  1 
Why,  old  fellow,  where  did  you  come  from  ?  Ah,  now  I  know.  Mr. 
Bright  says  he  bought  a  dog  in  Sydney  lately,  and  you  must  be 
the  one.     Come,  will  you  help  me  hunt  up  my  brother  Rick  ?  " 

Paws  wagged  his  tail,  which  meant  "  Let  me  think  of  it."  Then 
he  wagged  it  furiously,  which  meant,  "  Yes,  yes,  yes,  I'll  go  with  you." 

Crossing  now  into  the  wool-shed  paddock,  what  did  Ralph  see  on 
the  ground  ?  It  was  the  tired  kangaroo-hunter !  Ralph  knelt  down, 
and  laying  a  hand  on  Rick's  slioulder,  began  yently  to  shake  him. 
"  Wake  up,   Rick  ! "      The   bare-headed  hunter   raised  his   head,    and 


A  BIG  SHEEP  FARM. 


341 


opening  his  eyes,  grinned  at  his  finder.  The  next  instant  Paws 
bounded  forward,  wagging  his  tail  and  greeting  the  now  prostrate 
Ximrod  of  the  bush. 

Rick  proudly  narrated  his  adventures. 


"WAKE   UP,    RICK  I" 

"  But  I  tell  you,  Ralph,  I  heard  a  fearful  noise  up  in  the  tree.  It 
would  have  scared  you^ 

"  Did  it  sort  of  bray,  and  hoot,  and  laugh  at  you  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  that's  it." 

"  Pooh !  I  wouldn't  let  that  scare  me  !  That's  what  they  call  the 
laughing  jackass,  or  great  kingfisher !  " 

Rick  subsided. 


CHAPTER    XXXTX. 


A   QUEER   COUNTRY. 


,^^v/ 


/^■\r^ 


1 


HEES !     KEES ! 


IV/rOSQUITOES!"  ex> 
-^^^^  cla  ime  d  Rick. 
'^  Mosquitoes  in  December  ? 
That  seems  like  turning 
things  upside  down." 
"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Bright, 
"  it  is  a  sign  that  summer  indeed  has  come  in  Australia.  The 
whole  insect-tribe  is  on  the  wing,  and  you  will  find  that  mosquitoes 
are  very  partial  to  new-comers  !  Plenty  of  flies,  too ;  oceans  of  them ; 
and   bees   too,  what  a   quantity  !  " 

"  Uncle  Nat  told  us,"  said  Ralph,  "  that  Australia  is  a  queer 
country,  for  various  reasons,  and  among  others,  for  the  creatures  that 
were  here,  and  I  guess  we  must  set  down  mosquitoes  as  one.  Anything 
else,  please  ?  " 

Mr.  Bright  was  obliging  as  a  dictionary,  and  told  all  he  knew. 
"  As  your  imcle  said,  our  country  is  queer,  on  account  of  its  creatures. 
We  can*t  boast  of  leopards  or  tigers  or  lions.  We  can't  scare  up  a  wolf 
that  I  ever  heard  of.  About  the  most  destructive  thing  on  four  legs 
that  we  have  is  the  dingo  or  wild  dog.  He  worries  the  sheep  fearfully. 
The  dingo  has  a  big,  bushy  tail  and  pointed  ears,  and  makes  you 
think  somewhat  of  the  fox.  They  go  in  packs  and  yell  at  night 
hideously.     They  steal  out  of  their  holes  in  the  hills  or  where  the  scrub 

342 


A  QUEER  COUNTRY. 


343 


is  thick,  and  rush  upon  the  flocks.  A  flock  of  several  thousand  sheep 
chased  by  dingoes  will  become  much  alarmed,  and  away  they  go, 
trampling  down  the  weak  ones,  and  scattering  over  miles  of  ground, 
troubling  the  shepherds  to  gather  them  again.     The  squatters  or  settlers 


ALL  ABOARD    FOR  A   SUNRISE   LAND. 


try  to  poison  out  the  dingo,  and  the  animal  has  received  many  severe 
doses.     Then   we   have   kangaroos." 

''  The  kangaroos  !  Oh,  don't  I  want  to  see  a  kangaroo  jump  again ! " 
cried  Ralph. 

Bick  was  silent. 

"Plenty  of  chances,  boys,  if  you  want  to  see  a  kangaroo.  They 
count  up  many  species  in  Australia  and  Van  Diemen's  Land.  You 
know  their  fore  legs  are  very  short  and  their  hind  legs  are  very  long, 
which  makes  them  tremendous  on  the  jump,  and  they  can  make 
such  leaps  that  it  must  be  a  very  smart  horse  to  keep  up  with  them." 


•344  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

''Well,  how   do  they   defend   themselves?"    asked   Ralph. 
"Every  animal    has  some  means  of  defense,  just   as   a   mean   little 
mosquito   has   its  sting.     The    long   legs    so   good    for   jumping,    help 


ON  THE  JUMP. 


the  kangaroo  to  get  away  from  an  enemy,  and  if  the  enemy 
comes  near,  he  may  get  a  stroke  from  those  same  hind  legs,  that 
carry  three  long  claws,  and  can  rip  up  a  foe  very  cleverly.  The  dogs 
that  are  accustomed  to  hunt  kangaroos,  are  very  careful  just  how  the}- 
tackle  them.  Then  they  may  seize  an  enemy  with  their  fore  paws, 
jump  to  a  water-hole  and  drown  it.  Why,  those  fellows  I  have  known 
to  clear   a   rod   at  a   jump !     They    are    sometimes   pretty   long,   you 


THE   BLACK   SWAN. 


345 


A  QVEER  COUNTRY. 


347 


know.     I  saw  a  full-grown   male  that  from  nose  to  tip  of  tail  meas- 
ured nine  feet.     A  kangaroo   may  be  no   mean  enemy." 

Rick  here  drew  a  long  breath,  and  said  to  himself :  "  Guess  I  don't 
want  a  baby-kangaroo."  In  a  moment  he  spoke  up  :  "  But  what  about 
their  basket  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  laughed  Mr.  Bright,  '•  you  mean  the  mother's  pouch,  in  which 
she  carries  her  young  ?  You  may  well  call  it  a  basket.  We  have  a 
good  many  animals  here  in  Australia  that  like  to  carry  their  young  that 
way.  I  have  seen  the  young  ones  looking  out  of  a  kangaroo-mother's 
pouch  contented  as  birds  in  a  nest,  or  babies  in  their  cradles.  I  said 
there  were  various  kinds  of  kangaroos.  Rat-kangaroos,  for  instance^ 
are  about  as  big  as  a 
rabbit,  and  there  are 
tree-kangaroos,  whose 
fore  legs  are  about 
equal  to  the  hind  ones, 
and  they  can  go  up 
trees  pretty  quick.  I 
suppose  you  boys  have 
seen  an  animal  flying 
from  tree  to  tree,  the 
flying  phalanger,  or 
generally  called  the 
flying  squirrel ;  it  is 
known  as  the  flying 
opossum  also.  It  be- 
longs to  the  marsu- 
pial  or  pouch   family, 

LYRE-BIRD. 

of   which   we  have  at 

least  one  liundred  and   ten  varieties  in  Australia.      The  flying  squirrels 


348 


ALL  ABOARD  LOR  SUNRLSE  LANDS. 


\    lAMII.IAR    CRKATURp;. 


have  a  membrane  of  skin  extending  along  the  hind  and  fore  legs,  and  it 

keeps  them  up  in  the  air 
so  that  they  can  take  long 
leaps.  There  is  our  'laugh- 
ing jackass,'  a  bird  that 
makes  a  queer  noise,  and 
is  really  the  great  king- 
fisher. They  call  it  the 
settler's  clock,  for  it  cries 
or  brays  at  an  early  hour, 
and  at   sunset." 

Ralph  looked  at  Rick 
and  smiled,  but  the  hero  of 
the    kangaroo-hunt    found 

it  convenient  to  be  watching  something  overhead. 

"•  Then  there  is  the  emu,  a  tall  bird  with  long  legs,  and  reminding  you 

of  the  ostrich ;  and  there  is  the 

black    swan.      The    black    swan 

was  thought  by  the   ancients  to 

be  an  impossibility,  but  Australia 

furnishes  it.     Then  we  have  that 

funny  creature,  which  so  puzzled 

naturalists,    the   duck-billed   ani- 
mal, for   it   is    an    animal :    the 

platypus,  it  is  sometimes    called. 
^When    it  was    first  exhibited,  it 

was  thought   to   be   a    manufac- 
tured   prodigy,    but    they   might 

have  concluded  that  the    animal 

was  none  too  queer  for  us.     It  is  t„e  hower-bird. 


A   QUEER  COUNTRY. 


349 


HAMMOCK-lilRD. 


often   called    the  water-mole.     It  has  a  bill,  as  I  said,  l)iit  then,   it  is 

not  as  with  a  bird,  a  part  of  the  skel- 
eton, for  it  is  only  attached  to  the  skin 

and    muscles.     It   is   a   kind   of   cheat 

that  it  hangs  out.     It  can    swim   and 

dive   like  a   duck,  or   it   can   climb   a 

tree.     It   burrows    under    ground    and 

sometimes    for   twenty    or   thirty  feet, 

the  door  being   under    water,  and    the 

chamber  for  its  nest  is  high  up  above 

the  water.     A  queer  fellow  and  a  cun- 
ning   one,    too !       Then     we     have    a 

big   lizard  down  this  way,  the  iguana. 

I    have    shot    'em     five       feet     long, 

and   in    Queensland    there  are   alligators.     We   have   bats,    a   creature 

familiar  to  you,  parrots,  eagles,  magpies  and  so  on.     You  ought  to  see 

our  lyre-bird  —  or  lyre- 
pheasant  —  and  it  is  so- 
called,  because  its  tail- 
feathers  spread  in  the 
form  of  a  lyre.  We  have 
plenty  of  snakes,  and  can 
furnish  any  quantity  of 
insects.  Our  ants,  we 
think,  are  remarkable, 
some  being  an  inch  long. 
For  an  ant,  the  bull-ant 
is  tremendous. 
*' We  have  not  been  satisfied,  though,  with  what  Australia  can  furnish, 

and  that  alone,  for  we  have  been  introducing  foreign  favorites  —  pig«) 


A    BIG    KIRU    STALKING    TOWARD    HIM. 


35 o  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

deer,  sheep,  horses,  cattle,  thrushes,  larks,  and  let  me  not  forget  the 
sparrows.     There,  I  almost  forgot  —  " 

Here  Mr.  Bright  arose,  and  going  to  a  book-shelf  took  down  a 
volume. 

"T  came  pretty  near  forgetting  some  birds  I  wanted  to  show  you 
pictures  of.  We  have  about  seven  hundred  kinds  of  birds  in  this 
country,  and  I  ought  to  tell  you  of  one  or  two  more.  There  is  the 
bower-bird.  The  spotted  variety  build  on  the  ground.  Twigs  are  used, 
outside,  but  within  long  grasses  are  so  placed  that  their  tops  almost 
touch.  Then  they  ornament  the  '  bower '  with  bits  of  glass,  shells  and 
other  objects,  sometimes  using  pebbles  they  have  carried  a  great  way. 
There  is  the  hammock-bird,  its  nest  swinging  from  the  twigs  like  a 
hammock." 

Rick  went  to  bed,  his  head  full  of  birds,  birds,  birds.  What  wonder 
that  in  a  dream  he  saw  a  big  bird  stalking  toward  him !  He  was  glad 
to  have  a  tall  grass-blade,  behind  which  he  could  retreat.  And  even 
then  the  winged  creature  threw  a  big  eye  round  the  corner  and  made 
his  hair  stand  on  end,  as  she  looked  him  out  of  comitenance. 


TRADING    WITH   THE   ABORIGINES. 


CHAPTER     XL. 


THE    INTERIOR   OF    AUSTRALIA. 


HARK!     What  is  he  saying?"  asked  Rick. 
"  That  man  talking  to  Uncle  Nat  ? " 
"  Yes." 

"  He's  telling  about  selling  goods  to  the  natives." 
^'  You  see,  cap'n,"  said  the  man,  "  we  traders  can  sell  considerable 
to  the  aborigines,  and  I  rather   like   the  fun.      We   drive    into    their 
country   and   peddle    clothing,    groceries    or    nicknacks    out    of    our 
teams." 

*'  Can't  I  go,  uncle  ? "  asked  Rick  eagerly. 
'•  6\;  where  ?  " 

353 


354  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

"'  Go  to   see  the   bore  —  bore  — " 
^      ^'Aborigines,"  said  the  elder  brother. 

"  No,  no ;  we  must  be  going  home.  It  is  past  Christmas  now," 
replied  Uncle  Nat. 

Yes,  Christmas  was  over. 

"  A  year  ago,"  said  Uncle  Nat  to  the  boys,  "  I  was  in  old  England, 
and  we  had  snow  enough  for  a  good  time  snow-balling.  I  saw  love- 
making  and  snow-balling  going  on  at  the  same  time  in  a  park.  But 
Christmas  here  !  Has  any  one  an  iceberg  they  can  rent  to  me  for 
a  cool  retreat?" 

All  the  world  over,  whether  the  Christmas-star  shines  on  fields 
of  green  grass  or  fields  of  white  snow ;  on  waters  that  run  warm 
and  sparkling  to  the  sea,  or  rivers  held  fast  in  frosty  chains,  it  is  still 
Christmas, — the  blessed  birthday  of  the  Saviour.  The  Antelope  Guild 
passed  a  happy  festival  in  Melbourne,  and  soon  after  the  Antelope 
began  a  race  over  the  waves  to  Hong  Kong.  Life  on  board  ship 
was  all  the  more  agreeable  for  the  late  interruption,  and  it  was  pleas- 
ant for  Ralph  and  Rick  to  see  once  more  each  day  the  doctor.  Misses 
Wayland  and  Percy,  Jack  Bobstay  and  Siah.  The  Antelope  Guild,  too, 
resumed  its  meetings,  and  at  the  first  one  the  doctor  was  the  lecturer. 

"  We  only  have  a  slight  idea  of  Australia,  by  seeing  it  as  it  is 
on  the  sea-board.  What  was  farther  back,  embraced  within  its  vast 
coast-lines,  was  a  mystery,  and  to  some  extent  is  a  mystery  still,  but 
daring  explorers  have  been  tempted  into  searching  the  interior,  and 
something  has  been  ascertained  about  it  Some  explorers  were  success- 
ful, and  others  failed.  Pitiful  cases  of  ill-success  were  those  of 
Leichhardt,  who  has  not  been  heard  from,  and  of  Wills  and  Burke, 
dying  of  starvation  in  the  wilderness.  Stuart  succeeded  in  traversing 
the  corjitry,  and  in  his  footsteps  stretches  the  long  telegraph  wire, 
binding  also   together   the    north    and    south    coast  of   Australia,   and 


CHRISTMAS    IN    oLD    ENGLAND. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  AUSTRALIA.  357 

links  the  country  to  the  outside  world.  To  the  east  of  the  telegraph 
wire  is  the  larger  part  of  that  which  is  settled  country.  There  are 
fertile  lands  sweeping  far  away  toward  the  east,  but  toward  the 
west  is  '  a  great  lone  land,'  as  described  by  an  explorer  —  '■  a  wilderness 
interspersed  with  salt  marshes  and  lakes,  barren  hills  and  spinifex 
deserts.'  Across  the  lower  part  of  this  wild,  unknown  land,  Eyre, 
afterwards  famous  as  a  governor  of  Jamaica,  resolved  to  make  a 
journey. 

"  In  one  place  he  came  to  an  immense,  swamp-like  tract,  its  mud 
covered  with  a  thin  coating  of  salt.  They  tried  to  get  through  it, 
going  six  miles  into  this  bog,  but  they  came  near  sinking,  and  gave 
up  the  effort.  It  was  a  terrible  journey  for  man  and  horse.  Once, 
the}"  had  only  three  quarts  of  water  to  last  six  days,  and  part  of 
this  evaporated,  and  part  of  it  was  spilled.  A  dew  falling.  Eyre 
gathered  up  a  little  of  the  moisture  on  a  sponge,  and  his  black  boys 
took  rags  also  and  wiped  up  the  dew.  Eyre  met  with  terrible  ob- 
stacles in  the  humanity  that  travelled  with  him,  two  proving  to  be 
traitors,  robbers  and  murderers,  and  he  was  finally  left  with  a  black 
boy,  his  only  companion  in  that  terrible  land.  He  pushed  ahead, 
though.  His  privations  were  great,  but  he  persevered,  reaching  the 
west  coast.  This  indomitable  spirit  spent  a  year  and  more  in  this 
effort. 

"  In  1874,  John  Forrest  started  to  lead  a  party  across  the  wild,  rough 
interior.  Leaving  the  western  coast,  for  days  and  weeks  they  traversed 
a  fine,  grassy  country,  but  by  and  by  they  struck  a  dry,  miserable 
land,  whose  great  production  seemed  to  be  spinifex,  a  coarse  bush  with 
long,  pointed  leaves.  The  surface  was  frequently  flat  —  one  level  mass 
stretching  far  away.  Sand  and  rocks  abounded.  Water  was  the  great 
pressing  want  of  the  party.  Sometimes  they  would  find  it  in  what 
they  termed  '  rock-holes,'  and  then  again  these  natural  wells  would  be 


358 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


empty.  They  dared  not  go  back,  for  there  was  the  same  scarcity  of 
drink.  '  Spinifex  everywhere,'  said  Forrest ;  '  a  most  fearful  country.' 
Tired,  sore,  their  mouths  parched,  they  found  enough  water  in  some 
clay-holes  to  last  about  a  night.  Their  rations  needed  replenishing. 
What  could  they  do  in  this  emergency  ?  At  last  the  cheering  news 
came  that  water  had  been  found  five  miles  away,  while  red  kangaroo, 
one  or  two  opossums,  and  other  game,  helped  out  their  larder.  So  they 
toiled  on.     A  thousand  miles  from  the   settlements  in  West  Australia, 


KANGAROO   AND   BABY. 


the  prospect  was  no  more  cheering;  still  they  pushed  forward.  They 
had  had  occasional  meetings  with  natives,  one  party  being  delighted  to 
find  that  two  of  Forrest's  men  were  black,  and  that  their  bodies  also 
were  marked,  and  that  one  had  his  nose  bored  !  The  explorers  came 
again  to  grassy  country,  and  struck  the  river  Marryatt.     Their  stock 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  AUSTRALIA.  361 

•of  provisions  was  reduced  to  flour ;  but  it  was  a  sign  that  they  were 
getting  near  the   end  of  their  wearisome  journey. 

"  One  Sunday  they  looked  up  and  saw  a  long,  fine  wire,  stretching 
away  on  poles.  It  was  the  telegraph !  They  swung  their  hats  in  the 
air,  and  gave  cheer  after  cheer !  They  followed  the  wire,  and  reached 
a  telegraph  station,  where  they  dined  on  roast  beef  and  plum-pudding ! 
Forrest  thinks  he  traversed  an  immense  tract  that  never  will  be  settled. 
There  are  grassy  patches,  but  too  isolated  for  use.  It  is  a  wonder  to 
him  that  he  got  through  at  all,  as  a  drought  was  drying  up  the  country. 
We  comment  by  saying,  We  are  not  so  sure  about  the  correctness  of 
Forrest's  opinion  concerning  inner  Australia.  The  gold  veins  of  Australia 
may  ran  up  into  the  '  lone  land,'  and,  if  that  be  so,  miners  will  hunt 
iX\(^y\>  ^ut,  and  towns  will  be  gathered  thei;e.     We  can  but  hope." 


CHAPTER    XLI. 


J}' 


CHINA    AT    LAST. 

f 

N  THE  MORROW,"  said  Uncle  Nat 

one      evening,      "  we      shall       see 

China." 

It    was   a   beautiful    night.      On 

and  on,  across  a  sea  of  silver,  sped 

the  Antelope.     A  glorious  half-moon 

hung  in  the  sky.     Did  it  mean  fair 

weather  ? 

Another    day   came.     Would    it 

bring  them   to  land  ? 

"  China !    China,    boys  !  "    Uncle  Nat  sang  out. 

''Where?" 

"  Away,  away   over   there,  Ralph.      Come   here  and    stand    behind 

this  mizzen  mast.      Keep  your   eye  a  little  to  the  right ;      don't  you 

see  a  hump  of  blue  away  beyond  the  sea?" 

"As  if  a  whale  had  stuck  his  back  up  there  ? " 

"That's  the  spot" 

"And  that  is  China?" 

"  The    Flowery    Land,    and  nothing   else,  unless   I   am   very    much 

mistaken." 

*'  China !      China ! "    shouted    Ralph    from     the    quarter-deck,    and 

362 


CHINA  AT  LAST. 


Z^Z- 


Rick,  who  was  in  the  cabin  below,  came  tumbling  up  and  out,  crying : 

"China!  China! 
Snapping  crack- 


ers I 

The  boys  stood 
watching  the  little 
hump  of  blue,  as  if 
expecting  every  mo- 
ment it  might  turn 
into  a  Roman  can- 
dle or  a  rocket,  and 
out  would  burst  pig- 
tails and  wooden 
shoes  and  tea- 
chests.  But  no  such 
explosion  took 
place.  The  little 
hump  was  a  fixt- 
ure on  the  horizon, 
gradually  growing 
larger  and  darker, 
larger  and  darker, 
and  by  and  by  there 
was  an  unmistaka- 
ble ridge  of  land 
sloping  up  the  west- 
ern    sky. 

The  breeze  stiff- 
ened, and    the  Antelope  sped  swiftly  over  the  waters. 

"We    are    bound    for     Hong     Kong,    Rick,"  said   Jack   Bobstay   a- 


ON   AND   ON,    ACROSS   A   SKA   OF  SILVER. 


364  ALJ   ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 

little  later,  "  and  we  shall  drop  anchor  in  harbor  'fore  the  sun  sets." 

"  Have   you  been  there  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Jack  with  an  air  of  indifference,  as  if  going  to 
Hong  Kong  fifty  or  sixty  times  in  a  year  even,  was  a  matter  of 
very  little  consequence.  "  To  go  to  Hong  Kong  is  gettin'  to  be  rather 
•comn^on  nowadays,"  affirmed  this   world-renowned    traveller. 

"Who  would  have  supposed  such  an  amount  of  cosmopolitan  experi- 
ence was  under  the  roof  of  that  battered  old  tarpaulin?  Uncle  Nat 
:now  approached. 

"Hong  Kong  is  an  island,  and  not  sq  very  big,  either.  It  is  nine 
uniles  long  and  from  two  to  six  wide.  You  will  see  that  parts  are 
•pretty  high — eighteen  hundred  feet,  at  least,  above  the  sea,  and  the 
city  of  Victoria  is  hilly,  as  you  will  notice.  The  harbor  has  quite 
a  pretty  entrance,  and  we  will  have  a  sail  among  some  islands." 

The  Antelcype  was  hailed  by  a  Chinese  pilot-boat  or  sampan;  the 
home  of  the  pilot  and  all  his  family. 

"  Me  sailee  up  to  Victoriee,"  said  the  pilot  to  Uncle  Nat,  and 
he  winked  his  dark  eyes  in  a  rapid,  funny,  good-humored  way. 
Coming  to  its  moorings,  the  chain-cable  of  the  Antelojje  went  clanking 
into  the  water,  and  there,  after  a  long  race  from  Australia,  the 
vessel  rested  as  if  in  the  bottom  of  a  deep  cup,  the  hills  all  about 
it.  The  boys  looked  off  and  saw  Victoria,  a  city  that  had  a  European 
look,  sloping  up  a  hill-side,  street  rising  above  street,  like  a  succession 
■of  terraces.  There  were  steamers  at  their  wharves,  while  around 
the  Antelope  lay  many  sailing  vessels  at  anchor. 

*'What  a  funny  ship  that  is.  Uncle   Nat?"  said  Ralph. 

"That  is  a  Chinese  junk.  You  see  what  a  high  poop  or  stern  she 
iias,  and  how  they  have  built  up  her  forecastle." 

"Are  those  eyes  ?"  said  Rick,  catching  a  look  at  her  bow. 

'*  Yes ;  they  carry  two  big  eyes." 


CHINA  A'l  LAST. 


36s- 


"  So  that  they  can  see  ? " 

"  1  suppose  so." 

The  junk's  two  big  eyes  amused  Rick  exceedingly. 

As  the  sun  went  down  behind  the  hills  of  Hong  Kong;  it  seeinc^d  as 


A  CHINESE  JUNK. 


if  on  their  summits  a  huge  bonfire  had  been  started,  whose  embers  were- 
then  scattered  in  glorious  confusion  by  the  Chinese  boys,  the  light  play- 
ing through  and  over  the  broken  clouds.  Then  the  fire  seemed  ta 
descend  from  the  western  sky,  and  flashed  again  from  the  windows  of 
the  city,  tier  of  light  succeeding  tier  of  light.  When  the  boys  went  to- 
sleep  that  night,  they  could  hardly  realize  that  they  were   in  the  China. 


366 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRLSE  LANUS. 


they 
and 


had  read  so  much  about 
braided  it  like  M'ouieii  : 


the  land  where  the  men  wore  long  hair, 
tlie  land  M'here  women  hobbled  about  on 
feet  so  funnily  shaped  ;  the 
land  of  fireworks  and 
kites ;  the  land  of  the 
mighty  wall,  and  the  land 
of  Aladdin  and  his  won- 
derful lamp.  Rick  in  his 
dreams  that  night  thought 
he  was  a  stout  Chinese 
3^outh  blessed  with  a  pig- 
tail and  stealing  up  to  a 
shrine  where  burned  tne 
mystic  lamp. 

"  And  now,  boys,"    said 
Uncle    Nat,  "  I  am  going 
to  Victoria,   and    you  can 
go  with  me.     We  will  leave  the  doctor  here  with  the  ladies." 

Dr.  Walton  seemed  willing  to  stay  behind  and  keep  the  ladies  com- 
pany, especially  Miss  Lissa.     So  Ralph  judged. 

"All    ready,    boys?"     shouted    Uncle    Nat.        "We    will    take    a 
sampan." 

There  were  plenty  of  sampan-proprietors    about  the  ship  that  were 
willing  to  take  the  party  ashore,  and  the  voyage  was  soon  over. 

When  the  boys  stepped  on  land.  Uncle  Nat  told  them  that  they  were 
in  Victoria  —  the  great  business  centre  of   Hong  Kong. 

"  I  hope,  boys,"  said  Uncle   Nat,  "  I  shall  find  in  his    office  a   man 
whom  I  want  to  see." 

But  the   man  was  not  in  his  office. 
^'  He  is  at   his  house,"  said  the  clerk. 


A   CHINESE  RICK   AND   THE  LAAU 


CHINA  AT  LAST.  367 

*^  Then  we  must  go  to  his  house,"  declared  Uncle  Nat ;  "  and,  boys, 
don't  you  want  to  ride  in  a  sedan-chair?" 

The  boys  were  ready  for  any  novel  sort  of  a  vehicle  —  a  sedan-chair, 
an  elephant's  back,  a  camel's  hump,  a  balloon,  or  the  tail  of  a 
comet. 

"  Here,  Rick ;  here,  Ralph  ;  a  chair  for  each  of  you  !  Pop  in,  boys  ; 
pop  quick !  " 

"  See  those  girls ! "  said  Ralph. 

"  Can't  stop  to  look  at  females  now ;  pop  in,"  cried  Uncle  Nat, 
and  in  they  popped. 

They  found  that  a  sedan-chair  was  a  kind  of  box  sporting  a  top, 
and  in  the  box  was  a  caned  seat.  This  odd  style  of  vehicle  was 
suspended  from  two  long  poles  that  rested  on  the  shoulders  of  two 
bare-legged  Chinamen  wearing  immense  hats. 

"  When,  boys,  you  want  them  to  go  faster,  say  '  chop-chop  ! '  When 
you  want  them  to  go  slower,  say  '  man-man !  *  They  will  understand 
you." 

"  All  right,  uncle,"  replied  Rick. 

In  a  few  minutes  Rick  said  mildly,  "  Chop-chop." 

The  bearers  quickened  their  pace.  Rick  was  as  delighted  as  young 
Phaeton  when  he  drove  the  horses  of  the  sun. 

'•  Chop-chop !  " 

They  went  faster. 

*'  Chop-chop ! " 

Once  again  they  stepped  more  briskly. 

"  Chop-chop  !  " 

Faster. 

"  Cliop-chop  !  " 

Paster  yet. 

^'  Halloo,  there.  Rick ;    say  man-man  !  *' 


368  ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRJSE  LANDS. 

It  was  Uncle  Nat  bawling,  but  Rick  no  more  heard  hiin  tlian  the 
hum  of  a  fly  a  mile  distant. 

"  Chop-chop ! "  went  Rick  in  unconscious  response  to  the  distant 
fly-hum. 

Faster. 

"  Chop-chop !  ** 

They  were  now  turning  a  street  cx)mer,  when,  suddenly-  —  was  it  an 
elephant,  a  man-of-war,  or  a  clap  of  thunder,  that  Kick's  bearera 
had  struck  ?  They  had  abruptly  come  to  a  halt,  and  some  others 
in  the  opposite  direction  had  concluded  as  suddenly  to  stop,  and 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  Chinese  jargon  in  the  air.  Tn  the  midst 
of  all  this  babel  appeared  a  stout,  red-faced  old  gentleman,  bobbing 
out  of  a  sedan-chair  and  proclaiming  in  very  vigorous  and  very  in- 
telligible  English  :    "  Somebody  is  a  fool  !  " 

Added  to  this  was  the  childish  voice  of  Rick  piping  in  high  tones, 
as  he  leaned  forward :  "  I  beg  pardon,  sir !  My  men  didn't  know 
you  were  in  the  way." 

"  Your  wzezi,"  replied  the  old  gentleman  ;  "  if  a  ^lan  had  been  inside 
that  concern  of  yours,  this  collision  wouldn't  have  happened." 

There  now  appeared  on  the  scene  Uncle  Nat,  who  had  been  bawling 
himself  hoarse  as  he  shouted  "  man-man  !  "  to  Rick's  enterprising  team. 

"  Rick,  what  are  you  up  to  ?  Oh,  Mr.  Wadham,  is  this  you  ? "  he 
continued,  addressing  the  old  gentleman  whose  chair  had  been  run 
into.     "We  were  going  up  to  your  house." 

"  Well,  sir,  a  few  minutes  ago  I  didn't  know  as  I  should  ever  see 
home  again.  But  who  —  who  — "  here  the  old  gentleman  rubbed 
his  eyes.  "  Bless  me,  who  is  this  ?  Why,  Capt.  Stevens,  how  are 
you  ?  Come  right  up  to  my  house ;  "  and  the  old  gentleman  grabbing 
Uncle  Nat's  hand,  began  to  work  it  up  and  down  as  if  a  pump-handle 
and  he  were  trying  to  fetch  water. 


OUT-DOOR   SCtNKS   IN   CHINA. 


CHINA  AT  LAST. 


371 


"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Wadham.  We  shall  be  right  glad  to  go.  And 
I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  nephew  Rick.  Rick,  why  didn't  you 
stop  when  I  called  '  man-man  '  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  didn't   hear   you,  uncle,  and   they   seemed   willing   to   go." 

"  Willing  !  "  observed  the  old  gentleman.  "  Those  boobies  are  glad 
enough  to  get  a  foreigner  into  a  scrape." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Rick  courteously.  ''  I  did  not  see 
you,  sir." 

"  Oh,  let  it  go.     Those  boobies  don't  know  anything." 

Having  relieved  himself  of  his  indignation  in  his  ojDinion  about 
the  Chinese,  half-ashamed,  also,  of  himself  for  making  so  much  of 
the  matter,  Mr.  Wadham  whispered  to  Uncle  Nat :  ''  Fact  is,  cap'n, 
I  tried  that  very  same  thing  myself  the  first  time  I  had  a  chance, 
years  ago." 

He     now    returned 


his    chair,    and    the 


to 
pro- 


cession   moved    away   to- 
ward his  house. 

Rick  having  enjoyed  the 
sense  of  motion,  now  pre- 
pared to  exercise  the  sense 
of  seeing.  He  noticed 
that  the  street  was  bor- 
dered by  quite  good  look- 
ing buildings  covered  with 
a  grayish-brown  cement. 
On  the  door-step  of  one 
house,  he  noticed  a  little 
girl,  to  whom  an  old 
citizen  of  the  Flowery  Land  was  giving  —  was  it  an  orange  or  a  lime  ? 


372 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


The   sedan-chairs  were   quite    near   one   another,  and    Mr.  Wadham 

called  out :  "  We  will  go  into  the  Public  Garden,  if  you  would  like,  for 

I  want  you  to  see  the  view." 

And  what  a  view  down  upon  the  harbor,  dotted  with  shipping  and 

encircled  by  hills ! 

"  Now  we  will  go  to  my  house.      Chop-chop,  every  man  of  you ! " 

And  away  went  the  bearers. 

Mr.  Wadham's  house  was  built  of  stone,  and  around  it  swept  broad 

verandas.  In  the  gar- 
den that  enclosed  the 
house,  were  odd,  big- 
leaved  plants,  clumps  of 
box,  also,  that  had  been 
cut  into  the  forms  of 
animals  and  plants,  while 
on  the  borders  of  the 
grounds  were  rows  of 
bamboos.  The  house  was 
decorated  with  many  Chi- 
nese curiosities,  while 
comfortable,  also,  and  at- 
tractive with  English  fur- 
niture. 

"  There's  a  Hong  Kong 
woman,"  softly  whispered 
Mr.  Wadham  to  Uncle 
Nat,  as  they  passed  by  the 
opened   door   of   a   room. 

UONG   KONU  WOMAN.  ^  wj.      «,     xv^v/m. 

"  You     know     we     have 
a  good   many  Chinese  on  the  island.     This  is  a  friend  of  my  wife's." 


CHINA  AT  LAST. 


373 


The   lady  was    seated    near   a   little    fancy  table,  holding   a  fan  in 
her  hand. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wadham  were  very  hospitable,  and  insisted  that  Uncle 
Nat  and  the  boys  should  stop  to  dinner.  At  the  table,  the  waiters 
were  all  Chinese,  and  dressed  in  cool,  white  garments,  and  they 
served  up  roast  beef, 
cooked  in  English  style, 
curried  chicken,  and  va- 
rious Chinese  dishes.  By 
the  time  the  ice-cream 
was  brought,  the  boys 
were  ready  to  say  that 
they  would  like  to  live 
in  Hong  Kong.  The 
Hong  Kong  woman  was 
shy  of  visitors,  and  they 
did  not  see  her  again ; 
but  her  little  girl  was 
ready  to  entertain  them. 
She  had  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  the  English, 
and  stood  by  a  chair 
and  interested  the  com- 
pany with  her  bright  say- 
ings, though  the  medium 
of  their  expression  was, 
pigeon-English.  But  that, 
however,   is   the  Chinaman's  deficient  way  of    speaking  our  language. 


A   YOUNG   CELESTIAL. 


CHAPTER    XLII. 


CANTON. 


A  ND  what  do  you  think  of  this, 
-^^^  boys  ? "  asked  Uncle  Nat. 

"Funny,  Uncle  Nat,"  replied 
Rick,  with  eyes  wide  open  and 
laughing. 

They  had  taken  a  steamboat,  and 
were  gliding  up  the  Pearl  river, 
that  leads  to  Canton.  At  last, 
leaving  the  steamer,  "for  the  sake 
of  variety,"  as  Uncle  Nat  said, 
they  chartered  a  sampan  for  the 
rest  of  the  journey.  This  boat  was 
a  home  for  a  family  of  five;  a 
man  and  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren. Here,  in  their  snug  quarters, 
roofed  over  with  matting  and  bam- 
boo, they  lodged  and  lived.  The 
IMAGE  OF  CONFUCIUS.  mau,   haviug    a   job  on   shore,   was 

absent,  but  the  mother  and  two  stout  boys  managed  the  craft. 
"  These  folks  live  here  all  the  time.  Uncle  Nat  ? "  asked  Ralph. 
"  Certainly,  Ralph ;  and  they  tell  me  there  are  eighty  thousand  of  the 
Canton  people  living  in  boats.     In  these  floating  homes  they  are  born, 
live  and  die." 

374 


CANTON.  2,n 

Canton  is  a  big  city,  nncle  ? " 

"  Yes,  it  is  estimated  to  have  a  million  of  .people." 

As  they  neared  the  city,  the  crowd  of  sampans,  junks  and  steamers 
increased,  and  the  boys  were  glad  to  escape  with  Uncle  Nat  from  the 
din  and  confusion  on  the  river,  and  to  charter  sedan-chairs. 

"  Chop-chop !  "  shouted  Uncle  Nat,  and  off  started  the  bearers.  The 
streets  were  long  and  narrow,  and  those  they  visited  did  not  have  a 
width  exceeding  eight  feet,  and  some  were  only  four  feet  wide.  The 
houses  were  rather  small,  not  containing  more  than  two  stories,  as  a  rule. 
On  the  first  floor  oftentimes  was  a  shop,  and  the  goods  for  sale  would 
be  on  exhibition  and  open  to  inspection.  Once  in  a  while  they  met  an 
officer  riding  a  pony,  but  the  sedan-chair  was  the  favorite  mode  of 
passenger-travel,  and  goods  were  suspended  from  bamboo-poles  that 
rested  on  the  shoulders  of  patient  bearers.  Sometimes  a  shade  would 
stretch  between  opposite  houses  in  a  narrow  street,  sheltering  those 
below. 

"  Boys,  I  want  to  show  you  a  temple  or  two,  if  I  can  make  my  bear- 
ers understand  just  what  we  are  after.  We  will  go  first  to  the  temple 
of  the  five  hundred  genii,"  said  Uncle  Nat. 

They  were  carried  to  it,  and  found  it  to,  be  an  immense  structure 
containing  images  of  the  five  hundred  genii  reported  to  be  devoted 
servants  of  Buddha,  while  they  lived. 

"  There's  Buddha's  image,  boys,"  called  out  Uncle  Nat,  "  and  it  is 
gilded.     It  makes  you  think  of  Japan." 

The  boys  were  not  very  much  charmed.  Then  they  hunted  up 
a  temple  of  Confucius. 

"  You  remember,  boys,  you  learned  in  Japan  about  Confucius.  Here 
is  an  image  of  him,  which  does  not  look  very  genial  and  agreeable," 
said  Uncle  Nat. 

"  If  I  had  time,  we  would  go  to  see  the  temple  of  the  Five  Genii. 


376 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


It  is  said  that  their  names  were  Fire,  Earth,  Water,  Wood  and  Metal ; 
and  that  these  five  worthies  once  came  to  the  city  riding  on  rams, 
and  a  blessing  very  naturally  came  with  them." 

"  And  you  can't  see  the  rams,  Uncle  Nat,  can  you  ? "  asked  Rick. 


IMAGE  OF  BUDDHA. 


*'  Oh,  yes,  though  they  had  changed  to  stone  the  last  time  I  saw 
them,  and  I  guess  they  have  not  run  away  since.  But  there  is  a 
place  I  think  we  must  go  to." 

"What  is  this  other  place?"  asked  Ralph. 


CANTON.  377 

"  Examination    Hall  ;    and   we   will    see   it." 

"  Chop-chop ! "  Off  they  all  went.  By  and  by  Uncle  Nat  sang 
out :  "  man  man,"  pounding  on  the  side  of  his  chair.  The  procession 
halted.  Stepping  out  of  the  sedan-chairs,  and  passing  through  a 
structure  into  a  court,  they  saw  lengthy  rows  of  buildings,  with  low 
roofs,  and  each  building  was  cut  up  into  little  rooms. 

"  Those  little  cubby-holes,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  ''  make  you  think  of 
cells  in  a  honey-comb,  and  you  are  quite  likely  to  find  a  bee  in  each 
cell  at  certain  seasons.  Candidates  for  office  come  here  by  the 
thousand  —  men  who  have  passed  a  previous  examination  and  shown 
merit  in  them  —  and  into  these  little  rooms  they  are  locked,  each  man 
by  himself.  He  is  expected  to  remain  there  in  seclusion  for  a  while. 
He  is  furnished  with  subjects  on  which  he  is  expected  to  write  essays 
and  their  merits  will  decide  whetlier  the  candidate  is  worthy  of 
advancement.  Of  the  thousands  examined  not  many  will  take  the 
prize,  which  is  an  honorary  degree.  This  gives  one  the  privilege  of 
going  to  Pekin,  and  there  trying  for  another  degree  which,  if  he 
receives  it,  entitles  him  to  a  high  standing  as  a  literary  man,  and  also 
gives  him  a  chance  to  hold  some  position  of  trust  under  government." 

"  What  about  those  who  don't  take  those  degrees  ? "  asked  Ralph. 

"  They  give  it  up,  I  guess,  some  of  them  ;  but  if  they  wish,  they  can 
try  it  again  in  three  years,  and  then  keep  on  trying,  if  unsuccessful. 
When  an  unsuccessful  man  perseveres  in  his  examinations  till  he  is 
seventy,  perseverance  is  rewarded,  at  least,  for  he  receives  a  degree  of 
honor  and  some  government  office." 

"  They  don't  do  it  up  as  quick  as  people  who  want  office  in  Amer- 
ica?" said   Ralph. 

''  No ;  at  home  the  way  has  been  for  a  man  to  carry  round  a  piece 
of  paper  asking  for  office  till  the  paper  was  well-covered  with  big 
names,  and  well-soiled  with   ink,  and   if    he  could  have  a  ^friend   at 


378 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


court,'  to  shove  his  petition  and  make  a  noise  for  him,  he  was  likely 
to  get  an  office  that  would  pay  him  for  his  trouble.  But  we  are  doing 
a  little  better  nowadays ;  we  are  beginning  to  make  merit  a  con- 
dition that  must  be  met.  There  is  any  amount  of  room  still  for 
improvement.  Now  we  will  look  into  some  of  the  shops.  Chop-chop  !  " 
When  the  chairs  halted  again.  Uncle  Nat  suggested  that  they  alight, 
and  make  a  visiting  tour  on  foot. 

"  Here  is  a  strange  street,  boys  —  the  Street  of  the  Dead.  Here 
are  to  be  found  things  that  the  living  are  generally  interested  in, 
and  the  Chinese  think  that  the  spirits  of  their  departed  friends  will 
6till  be   interested    in   such    articles.     So  they  buy  a  pipe,  or  a  fan,  or 

some  other  memento,  and 
pack  these  into  the  cof- 
fins or  tombs  of  the  dead." 
"  That  is  very  funny," 
thought  Rick. 

"  A  pipe  is  the  last 
thing  I  want  to  be 
packed  away  with  me," 
said  Uncle  Nat. 

They  rambled  on,  till 
Ralph  cried  out :  "  Oh,  see 
that  man  making  um- 
brellas ! " 

The  umbrella-maker  was 
busy  at  work,  putting 
together  a  light  bamboo- 
it    a    big    cover    of    var- 


A    CHEAP   UMBRELLA. 


frame,    and    then    neatly    stretching    over 
nished  paper. 

"  Sometimes  they  use  oiled    paper,"  said  Uncle  Nat,  "  to  cover   the 


CANTON. 


379 


frame.  They  have  all 
grades  of  materials  for 
umbrellas,  poor  and  rich, 
homely  and  elegant.  It 
makes  me  think  of  the 
time  when  I  saw  you, 
Rick,  at  Concord.  You 
were  big  enough  to  run 
about  the  garden  and 
see  things  for  yourself. 
You  came  into  the  house 
laughing,  and  wanted 
us  to  go  out  and  see 
^  toadee  under  umbel.' 
We  went  out,  and  sure 
enough,  there  was  a 
toad  under  his  umbrel- 
la. 

"  Among  our  English 
ancestors,"  continued 
Uncle  Nat,  "the  um- 
brella was  little  known 
•down  as  far  as  the 
opening  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.  In  that 
century  it  was  used  as 
a  sun-shade.  When  Queen  Anne  was  on  the  throne,  ladies  used  the 
umbrella  as  a  protection  against  the  rain,  but  only  ladies,  though. 
The  first  man  who  spread  an  umbrella  in  the  streets  of  London,  was 
Jonas  Hanway,  the  philanthropist.      He  was  a  sickly  man,  and  an  um- 


LORD   OF   THE   TWENTY-FOUR    UMBRELLAS. 


38o 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


rella  was  a  friend  in  need.  For  some  time,  though,  people  poked  fun  at 
the  male  user  of  an  umbrella.  Now  you  know  they  are  very  common 
with  the  English-speaking  people.  If  all  the  styles  of  umbrellas 
in  Concord  alone,  say,  should  take  it  into  their  wooden  or  ivory  heads 
to  get  up  a  procession  and   walk  off,  what  a  sight  it  would  be ! 

"It  is  in  the  East,  that  the  umbrella  is  used  so  much,  and 
there  it  may  signify  a  good  deal.  In  Siam,  it  is  a  sign  of  rank, 
and  it  may  indicate  also  degrees  of  rank.  A  nobleman  can  carry 
an  umbrella  with  a  single  top,  but  the  king  may  have  a  series  of 
such  roofs  above  his  head.  When  we  get  to  Burmah,  the  king  has 
a  name  derived  from  the  umbrella :  Lord  of  the  Twenty-four  Umbrellas." 

"  That  would  be  a.  two-dozen  decker,  wouldn't  it,  Uncle  Nat  ? " 
asked  Ralph,  while  Rick  thought  if  the  king  would  stand  from  under, 
his  umbrella  would  be  a  nice  thing  to  fire  snow-balls  at,  and  a  sure 
pop   every   time ! 


CHINESE  GIRLS. 


381 


CHAPTER   XLIII, 


OLD    FRIENDS    AGAIN. 


"D  ICK  was  lost  in  Hong  Kong.  One  day 
-■■  ^  when  ashore  with  Uncle  Nat,  the  latter 
said :  "  Hold  on  here  a  moment,"  and 
bobbed  into  an  English  merchant's  office. 

"Aye,  aye,  Uncle  Nat,"  said  Rick  obe- 
diently. 

But  Rick  strayed  off,  "  just  a  little,"  as  he 
said,  Y^atching  a  boy  with  a  kite,  then  a  sedan- 
chair,  and  then  something  else,  till  at  last, 
entangled  in  a  crowd,  he  lost  all  idea  of  the 
way  back  to  Uncle  Nat. 

"  Oh  dear !  "  he  groaned  ;  "  I  guess  I'll  take 
this  street,"  and  taking  it,  he  left  behind 
him  the  stores,  and  reached  the  neighborhood 
of  the  private  residences.  He  was  moving 
along  aimlessly  and  disconsolately,  fancying 
that  somehow  he  might  find  Mr.  Wadham's 
residence,  perhaps,  when  he  neared  a  house 
JOE  PIG-TAIL.  surrounded  with  an  ample  garden. 

"  I  will  ask   that  Chinaman   gardener  in  there  if  he  knows  where 
Mr.  Wadham  lives,  and  if  he  doesn't  know  perhaps  that  girl  near  hira 

382 


OLD  FRIENDS  AGAIN.  383 

can  tell;  but  girls  don't  know  much,"  thought  Rick;  "she  wears  a 
pretty^  hat,  though." 

Rick  shouted,  "Can  you  tell  me  where — " 

The  Chinaman  turned  and  faced  Rick. 

"  AVhy,  why  Joe  Pigtail,  that  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Rick,  bounding  furi- 
ously into  the  garden.  The  wearer  of  the  pretty  hat  turned  also- 
toward  Rick,  and  at  the  sight  of  her  sweet  face  Rick's  heart  seemed 
to  bound  more  violently  than  his  legs  even. 

It  was  Amy  Clarendon !    The  old  acquaintances  advanced  toward  Rick. 

"  Me  gladdee  see  you,"  said  Joe,  bowing. 

"  And  /  am  very  glad  to  see  you,"  was  the  encouraging  welcome- 
from  the  young  fairy. 

"Isn't  this  nice  ?     Do  you   live   here?"  inquired  Rick. 

"Yes,  this  is  my  father's,  and  Chung  Kang  is  our  gardener,"  said 
Amy. 

Here  Joe  Pigtail  bowed. 

"All  the  folks  are  away,"  said  Amy,  "and  you  must  stop  to  din- 
ner, Rick." 

What  a  dinner  that  was !  Rick  was  tliinking  he  had  reached 
fairy-land,  and,  finishing  a  glass  of  ice-cream,  was  about  to  attack 
another,  when  he  heard  a  voice  in  the  entry  —  a  voice  generally  musi- 
cal enough,  but  now  it  sounded  like  a  dragon's : 

"  He  is  here,  then  ?  I  have  been  hunting  for  him,  and  some  one 
saw  him  come  here.  Well,  please  say  that  his  uncle  is  at  the  door, 
and  is  in  a  great  hurry  to  get  to  the  ship." 

"No  help  for  it,"  thought  Rick.     "I  must  go." 

Uncle  Nat  was  glad  to  see  Amy  and  Chung  Kang  again,  and  urged 
them  to  visit  the  ship.  The  visit  was  made,  and  then  came  Rick's 
second  sorrowful  parting  from  the  Clarendons'  gardener. 

Rick  was  thinking  about  the  future.    "  Uncle  Nat  says  the  Antelope 


384 


ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SUNRISE  LANDS. 


is  going  to  India  and  through  the  Suez  canal  to  Eg}-pt,  and 
then  home;  and  what  then?     I  know  what  —  if  I  only 
/.;    '    liad   Aladdin's  lamp  they  tell  about !      I  would  turn 
our  barn  —  if  mother  would  give  it  to  me  —  into  a 
palace,  and  Amy  should  live  in  it  with  me.      And 
^    then,  what  if  Uncle  Nat  and  the  doctor  should 
fancy  those  nice  ladies    that    are  our  passen- 
gers, and  marry  them  !       Perhaps  we  might 
all  live    in    Concord    and    Aunt    Fennel 
adopt    Jack  Bobstay  as    her   son,  and 
Bumble-bee    cook  for    us,  and    Siah 
be  our  coachman  !      Wouldn't  that 
be  just  splendid  ? " 

Two  days  after,  the  Antd- 

ope    erected  her  fair   white 

1  antlers,  and  was  bounding 

-^^         away  for  the  next  port. 

Rick   went   to   sleep 

that      night,     and 

dreamed  again  of 

the    palace  he 

could     create 

if    only    the    wonderful  lamp  were  his.      Alas!    do  our  dreams  often 
come  true  ? 

THE     END. 


'--*BC^—  ^^ 


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